Home Need challah recipe

[elrohwen]

Hi there! Today I planned to make brunch for DH and his favorite is challah french toast. I tried to buy some challah at the store last night, but they didn''t have any (which is weird, considering it was a Friday) so I decided to make my own. I''m an experienced bread baker and used my favorite cookbook, but the results were disappointing

For a two loaf recipe, there were only 2 eggs, which didn''t seem like much. After tasting the bread, it definitely didn''t seem like much! It would be a good recipe if I were making plain white sandwich bread, but it just doesn''t have that egg-y challah taste. Or maybe I''m just used to challah that tastes almost like brioche rather than what it''s supposed to taste like?

Does anybody have a good recipe? I figure it''s something that''s passed down in families, so I''m sure someone on PS has a fantastic recipe from their grandma

 

[elrohwen]

I just checked out this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and it is exactly the same except it has 5 eggs instead of 2. Drat. Should''ve done my research first.

 

[ellaila]

The SK recipes is the recipe I use and it''s fantastic! I find her braiding instructions too complicated though and found this instead, which was *super* helpful: http://www.ehow.com/video_2341036_braid-six_strand-challah-bread-loaf.html?pid=1&cp=1

Good luck if you make it again!

 

[Haven]

My mother''s challah is legendary. I''ll see if she''ll give me the recipe for you.

I''m pretty sure she uses the Jewish Catalog''s recipe from decades ago.

 

[elrohwen]

Thanks ladies! Ellaila, I''ll definitely try the SK recipe sometime. I also think her braiding instructions are complicated, but braided bread is a favorite in my family so I''m good at making basic three piece braids. My bread did look very pretty! I think it just need more than double the eggs.

And Haven, that would be awesome if your mom would share her recipe! Don''t worry about typing out the instructions - if you can just give me the ingredients and approximate rise times and cook time that would be awesome.

 

[Rachel9]

Hi everyone, I love good Challah, SK recipe is quite similar to my sister's [1 extra egg & bread flour instead] she divides the dough in 5 pieces, braids 3 first, then makes a twist with remaining two and places it right on top of the first one...really pretty! The few times I've tried, I've rested the glazed braid in the fridge overnight, it triples in size and turns out quite tender like J's.
Haven, your mother's recipe sounds wonderful

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/6/2010 8:53:09 PM
Author: Rachel9
Hi everyone, I love good Challah, SK recipe is quite similar to my sister''s [1 extra egg & bread flour instead] she divides the dough in 5 pieces, braids 3 first, then makes a twist with remaining two and places it right on top of the first one...really pretty! The few times I''ve tried, I''ve rested the glazed braid in the fridge overnight, it triples in size and turns out quite tender like J''s.
Haven, your mother''s recipe sounds wonderful

How long does your sister bake and at what temp? I''ve been making a Czech/Polish braided bread my whole life, and the traditional way to do it is as you described (or even with one more layer - a 4 piece braid - on the bottom). Every time I try, the outside gets very dark while the inside is still raw

Neither my mom nor I have ever figured it out, so we just do two separate braids. I''d love to know the correct temps and times and actually do it the right way!

 

[Rachel9]

Hi, Jael bakes hers at 375F for 25-30 minutes, for sweeter ones [MY favorite] at lower 350F for 40 minutes. Size should matter, the coils [cinnamon] get baked at lower temp as well for 40 minutes. I might bake some today, it''s pouring, not going enywhere

 

[swimmer]

Elrohwen, I bake challah with foil over the top to keep the dreaded too brown yet doughy from happening. My recipe calls for 6 eggs and is very similar to this blogger who has a nice video on traditional Jewish braiding link

For highest quality challah french toast, I like to make the egg, milk, vanilla mixture the night before and soak the bread overnight. To be super decadent use any leftover eggy juiciness after it has soaked overnight, mix with sourcream and pour over frozen kosher blintzes with frozen berries of any kind (Trader Joes has cherries in plain sauce too, fabu). Then you just have a carb heavy amazingness. You see why I host more brunches than dinner parties!

 

[Rachel9]

Team work, between two of us made about 7 I kept 3. We used ''High Holiday'' recipe to please the kids today, no dry fruit nor seeds just vanilla. It was pretty good with soup and hot chocolate later on. J said covering with foil [loose] is a great idea for double ones after the first 20 minutes of baking when you turn the baking sheet around for a even color. I''m honestly dizzy from twisting/turning dough, she''s too fast in the kitchen for me

I guess size does matter, the 6 rope took 38 minutes and the woven round about 27 minutes. Not the best pic [rain break] enjoy:

 

[Rachel9]

one more try

 

[elrohwen]

Those are beautiful! I love the woven round one - I''ll have to learn that braid and use it the next time I make challah or hoska (the Czech/Polish bread my family makes).

All this braided bread had made me want to make hoska now. It''s pretty similar, but butter instead of oil and it has golden raisins (which I guess challah can have too), and probably a few less eggs. It''s a bit flakier because of the butter and so yummy!

 

[Rachel9]

Thank you elrohwen, the woven was something new, my sister keeps kosher and quite firm about her things..she said high holiday challah should be round [I didn''t know] then she starts with 4 ropes going one way than the opposite

pinched the tops and turned the whole thing upsidedown to a nice surprise, the one in the picture was my first one, hers was a bit taller LOL
Hoska sounds delicious! Aaaand everything tastes better with butter

I''ve been so bad today, this is what I had for dinner, toasted challah with cherry jam LOL !!!!!

 

[TooPatient]

I make this every week. Started with a basic recipe from a book and modified to get fluffy (but dense), nutty flavored loaves. I use this same recipe (minus braiding) to make some really amazing hamburger buns and dinner rolls. The whole process takes about 3 hours, but most of that is rising time. BREAD FLOUR is important here -- it helps the loaves hold their shape. Makes GREAT French toast.


2cups water (about 110 degrees)
2 packages yeast (I use about 4Tbsp.)
1/3 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp.
1/3 cup veggie oil
3 eggs
salt to taste (I usually do about 1 Tbsp.)
BREAD flour
1 egg yolk
sesame seeds (optional)


Mix about 1/2 cup of the water with the yeast and 2Tbsp. sugar in a little bowl. While it is sitting, combine remaining water, sugar, oil, and 3 eggs in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture to the big bowl.
Whisk in about 1 1/2 cups of bread flour. Let this sit for 10 to 15 minutes until it is nice and bubbly.
Add salt.
Add bread flour gradually while kneading until it has an elastic feel.
Put just a splash of veggie oil in the bottom of a clean bowl (big enough to hold about twice the size of the current blob of dough).
Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
Punch down and flip over.
Let rise for another 30 minutes.
Braid your two loaves and place on cookie sheets (1 loaf per sheet is best).
Let rise until about doubled in size (I don''t let it rise quite that far -- usually about 15 to 20 minutes).

Mix egg yolk with a little bit of cold water and brush onto loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (untoasted) if desired.

Bake at 375 until golden brown. (Baking time varies -- you''ll get good at it as you do it a couple of times)