Challah | Keesing

Challah - Egg Bread

Is a lot like brioche in that it is a slightly sweet bread enriched with both eggs and fat, except Challah uses oil instead of butter, and less of it, while using more eggs.

The secrets to good challah are simple: Use two coats of egg wash to get that laquer-like crust and don’t overbake it.

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours’ rising
Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

3 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (about 1 1/2 packages, or 11 grams)
1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup (118 ml) olive or vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
5 large eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (14 grams) table salt
8 to 8 1/2 cups (1000 to 1063 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins (about 70 grams) per challah, if using, plumped in hot water and drained
Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling.

Method

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar in water; set aside for 5 minutes until a bit foamy.

Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise (prove) in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off.

Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.

Now, you can knead the raisins into the Challah, if you’re using them, before forming the loaves.

To make a 6-braid Challah, either straight or circular*, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.

Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together.
Move the outside right strand over 2 strands.
Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over
Move second strand from the right over to the far left.
Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided.
For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath.
For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together.

Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.

Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.

If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.

Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.)
Cool loaves on a rack.