Jewish Challah

Hi this recipe is from BBC Goodfood by Victoria Prever. 

This loaf was a big success for me (despite being slightly overdone on the top - I should've covered it with foil 2 - 5 mins earlier) as I was very proud of how well it rose and was nicely aerated too. 

The proofing times are long but worth it to achieve a light and airy loaf. I don't have a proofing drawer (like they do on Bake Off) but popped it into the airing cupboard and that seemed to do the trick. If you have no warm places in your house, the proofs can also both be done overnight in the fridge. But you will need to have enough fridge space for your baking tray in the second proof.

Lastly, the final bread was quite a sweet loaf - my Mum likened it to brioche bread and recommends that you choose your fillings wisely. She enjoyed it with jam and even some cheeses, but doesn't think it would make a very nice beef sandwich say.

Enjoy and Good Luck!

Hazel :)

***

Dietary Info:

-Vegetarian

-No Nuts

-Dairy Free

-Contains Gluten

{You can try using a gluten-free bread flour. But just watch the liquid quantities as g-f flours tend to absorb more liquid. However, in this recipe I had to add lots of extra glutenous flour to the dough as it was too wet, so I think you actually won't need to change any quantities. If it is too dry though, add some extra oil or water.}

-Unsuitable for Vegans

{I would suggest using a different recipe for this one as Challah is an enriched dough and I am not 100% sure how to enrich the dough properly without the eggs.}

Ingredients:

-500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting {I used plain flour and it seemed to work fine, although I did have to add quite a lot of extra flour to prevent the dough being super sticky.}

-70g caster sugar

-7g sachet fast-action dried yeast

-2 eggs, beaten {One is for a glaze, so you should beat them separately as there's quite a long gap between the 1st and 2nd egg addition.}

-70ml sunflower oil, plus extra for the bowl {I used olive oil - any neutral oil will be fine.}

-1 tbsp poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

Method:

1: Combine the yeast, a pinch of the sugar and a couple tablespoons of lukewarm water in a small bowl. {TIP: don't use a bowl with ridges in the bottom like I did as the yeast sinks to the bottom and gets a bit stuck in them, a smooth bowl will be easier to scrape all the yeast out of later on.} Stir to dissolve the yeast, {Doesn't have to be fully dissolved, just mainly dissolved. I'd say about 75% + is fine.} then leave for 10 mins until foamy.

2: Meanwhile, combine the flour, {Sieve the flour for a light, airy loaf.} the remaining sugar and 2 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add half the beaten egg {i.e. 1 egg.}, the yeast mixture and the oil. Pour in 200ml lukewarm water (it should feel slightly warm to the touch) and stir with a spoon, then mix using one hand, keeping the other clean while you bring the dough together. {This is where I had to add extra flour to make the bread dough less sticky.} If there are a lot of very dry bits, gradually add a little water to just bring it together – you don't want it to get too wet and sticky. The dough should be moist, but not soggy.

3: Once the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. {You will have to keep replacing the flour on the work surface as it gets kneaded into the dough.} Knead using both hands for 10 mins until smooth and a bit springy. {It should bounce back if gently pressed.} If it gets very sticky, add a very small amount of flour – as little as possible. A dough scraper is useful if the dough is sticking to the work surface. Stretch the sides of the dough down and pull together to form a ball. Lightly oil a bowl, then lightly roll the dough ball around the bowl so it's coated in the oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hr, or until dough has doubled in size. {I like to leave the dough in our airing cupboard. Mine proofed for about 1hr 15mins.}

4: Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into three equal pieces, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape about 25cm long, tapering them slightly at both ends. Lay the pieces out in front of you, parallel to one another with a couple centimetres between each. Bring the sausages together at the top end, then plait them down the length, tucking in the ends when you reach the bottom. {You want to plait the loaf. Here's a video if you are confused / unsure.} Carefully transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet and loosely cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise until puffy and billowy, about 40 mins. {Mine took a bit longer to rise in the second proof, so I left it in there for an hour.}

5: Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6 / 390°F. Gently brush the rest of the beaten egg all over the challah, {I actually ended up doing a milk glaze instead of egg as it was easier and cheaper.} getting it into all the crevices, and sprinkle with the poppy or sesame seeds, if using. Bake on a middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 mins, until the loaf is golden brown underneath and sounds hollow when tapped. Check after about 15 mins – if the top of the loaf has started to get too dark, cover it with foil. {You will notice my challah is a little dark at one end - I left it for the full 15 mins before checking. So I would suggest you check after 10 mins.} Leave to cool on a wire rack, then serve.

While you're here...

I have a Pinterest for all my recipes, where you can save them to boards for the future and categorise them into different types of recipe e.g Sunday Dinners, picnic ideas etc. My account is @hazellikestocook, or find the link below. Also, I have a whole blog post explaining this in more detail here and https://hazelscookingandbakingblog.blogspot.com/2021/02/pinterest.html. 

https://pin.it/5xDvARk - my profile

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