Challah, like most bread, can be tricky, and I’ve never been fully satisfied with any recipe I’ve used until last week. I tried different techniques with each loaf, letting it rise in the sun, letting it rise in the oven. I tried using honey instead of sugar, I raised the amount of eggs and the lowered the amount of yeast. They were good, but not perfect.
Finally, the next day, using the last of the dough, we made a perfect loaf. The trick, as I’ve learned over and over again with raised doughs, is giving it a cold, slow rise after its first two warm rises. If you’re short on time, two warm and fast rises will always do just fine, but a cold, slow rise gives the bread a whole new depth of flavor and a texture that’s somehow both airy and chewy at once, just like a good challah should be.
Adapted from Joan Nathan
Ingredients (makes 2 loaves)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (11 g, 1 1/2 packages) active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (I used vegetable), plus more for bowl-greasing
- 4 large eggs (you will need one more for the egg wash–5 total)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon fine salt
- 8 cups bread flour (all-purpose will be fine too)
- 1 large egg for egg-wash
- coarse sea-salt for sprinkling
Directions:
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in lukewarm water. With the mixer running, whisk the neutral oil into the yeast/sugar/water mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and tablespoon of salt.
Remove whisk attachment and switch to the dough hook. With the mixer running, slowly add your flour, about a cup at a time, and mix until dough just comes together. At this point, turn your dough out onto a floured surface and knead it by hand until it is smooth and elastic–about 3 to 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise for 1 hour in a warm place. After an hour it should be about doubled in size. Punch the dough down, cover it again, and let it rise for another 30-45 minutes. After the second 30- to 45-minute rise, place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
Turn the dough out and separate it into two even pieces, then separate those two loaves into pieces for braiding. Rather than clumsily try to explain how to braid I’m going to give you a link to this very helpful video, which provides a few different options. Unfortunately, the challah pictured was not my best braiding attempt, but it still tasted great, so don’t stress if this part doesn’t come out perfectly.
Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush it onto your braided challah. If you’re making straight loaves, place them on two baking sheets lined with greased parchment paper. Cover and let them rise in a warm place for one more hour (I swear, that’s the last one!).
After an hour, brush doughs again with egg-wash and sprinkle with sea salt. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 40 minutes to an hour. This time will vary depending on whether you make a round or straight loaf–if you have a thermometer, the internal temperate of the bread should be 190 degrees F.
Turn finished bread out onto a cooling rack. Eat with everything for every meal.
— Cara Nicoletti is the creator of Yummy-Books blog where she combines her love of literature with her love of baking. For more great Jewish recipes and many, many others, visit her at yummy-books.com.
