Challah

Challah is a great bread to make for the holidays, or for any special dinner party, brunch or family gathering. It is a traditional Jewish bread that is eaten on the Sabbath and during certain holidays. It has egg in it, so it has a nice, rich texture. There are lots of semi-sweet egg breads out there, such as Portuguese sweet bread and brioche and Hawaiian bread, but I think challah is one of the most versatile egg breads out there. Also, it is braided and finished with an egg wash, so it is a very beautiful baked good that you can make for a dinner for minimal cost and effort.

Here is what you will need:

1.25 cups warm water (I don't like to go over 100 degrees, just to be safe, as yeast can be finicky and hot water can kill them)
2.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
1 tbs. sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour (I used bread flour, but all purpose is great, too)
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil

First, mix the honey with the warm water to dissolve. Stir in the sugar and the yeast. Let sit 10 minutes until there is a bunch of foam on the top (this tells you that the yeast is alive and ready to make delicious bread). I like to do this in my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl because it can go straight to the mixer once you are ready to fold in the flour.

Whisk the eggs, oil and salt briefly and stir it into the yeast mixture.

Mix in flour, one cup at a time, incorporating as you go. If you have a standing mixer, use a dough hook (it is so much easier) and let it go for about 8-10 minutes or until the dough is shiny and forms a tight ball. If you are doing it by hand and have experience, give it 10-12 minutes and make sure it is elastic, supple and forms a nice ball. I like to pinch it a bit to make sure it has good texture. It will look a bit like this:

Now you are ready to let it rise. Oil a bowl lightly and put the dough in it. Put a damp cloth over the bowl and put it in a dark, dry place, such as a turned off oven or a pantry. It helps if it's a little warm, so if you want best results and you don't have an incubator, turn your oven on for a few minutes, then turn it off and put the bowl in when it's just barely warm. Let it rise for 90 minutes. 

Punch it down and divide it into two sections. Each will make a loaf. Cut each section into three pieces and roll them by hand into tubes. Now we start the braid. Pinch the three tubes together at one end and form a braid like so:

Keep braiding until you reach the end. Then pinch the ends together and fold them under the loaf. Don't worry if they look a bit rough, because you are going to let the loaves rise again before you bake them.

Let the loaves rise for another 45-60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350. Beat an egg with a few tablespoons of milk and brush the loaves with the mixture. Bake them for 30-35 minutes.  They should be golden brown (and depending on your egg wash, may get very dark on top).

This recipe makes two loaves. I used more wash on one loaf than the other, so you can see the difference!

Suggestions for Challah (beyond simply eating it with dinner):
*toasted with butter next to a hot cup of soup
*served with hummus before dinner
*made into French toast on a cold morning
*added to a bread pudding
*grilled cheese with brie, apples and a little sharp cheddar