Apple Honey Challah Food

APPLE-HONEY CHALLAH

Steps:

• Butter a large bowl, and melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to buttered bowl, and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2-by-14-inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tablespoon melted butter; cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. Butter plastic wrap, and cover dough. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.
• Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Brush dough with half the honey-butter. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.
• Brush challah with the remaining honey-butter. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.

OAT & HONEY APPLE CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine 3/8c warm water with yeast. Let stand until yeast is dissolved and begins to bubble - about 5 minutes.
• Place the yeast mixture in a larger bowl. Add the additional water, oats, honey, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
• Gradually add the flours. Mix with a spoon until it becomes too unweildy. At that point - knead with your hands until all the flour is absorbed and the dough is no longer sticky.
• Place in a large, oiled (or cooking spray coated) bowl and place in a warm, moist, draft-free place to rise. Let rise until doubled - appx 1 hour.
• When the rise is almost over, prepare apple filling. Then put the apple filling on some paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Preheat the oven to 350.
• There are many different ways to prepare a holiday challah -- here's my personal favorite: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/560778/jewish/Weaving-Round-Challah.htm Or you can make a round coil. The number of rolls of dough you'll need to make will vary based on the shape you make.
• If you are using the link above, you will need four dough strands. If you are making a single coiled challah, you will need one dough strand. Do NOT make the strands long -- for the round from the link, each strand should be no more than twelve inches long. Once you have the correct number of strands, you'll need to flatten them with your hand or a rolling pin. Put the apple filling down the middle, and then pinch or roll the strand closed. It's OK if a few apple pieces pop out, but for the most part, you want them enclosed.
• Brush with egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. The sugar will give it a nice, sparkly outer crust with a nice rich flavor.
• Place on stoneware cookie sheet, or regular cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, open up the oven & place a sheet of tin foil over the loaf to prevent excessive browning. Let bake for appx another 20-30 minutes (so 50-60 minutes TOTAL bake time).
• Cool on a cooling rack & ENJOY!