Braided Egg Bread Challah Food

BRAIDED EGG BREAD (CHALLAH)

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast and 1 cup flour.
• 2. In a 1 quart saucepan over low heat, heat milk and butter until milk is warm and butter is melted.
• 3. If milk is too hot, bring temp down to around 120 degrees.
• 4. With mixer at low speed, beat milk mixture into dry ingredients, just until blended. Beat at medium speed two minutes more.
• 5. Reserve 1 egg yolk. Add remaining egg white and 2 eggs, and 3/4 cups flour. Beat 2 minutes. Stir in 1 1/4 cups flour to make a soft dough.
• 6. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 10 minutes working in more flour while kneading. (Work through the pain!!!)
• 7. Shape dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning dough over to grease top. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. (about an hour)
• 8. Punch down dough, turn onto floured surface. Cover with bowl and let rise 15 minutes. Grease large cookie sheet.
• 9. Cut 2/3 dough into 3 equal pieces. On floured surface, with wet hands, roll each piece into a 13-inch rope. Place ropes side by side and loosely braid.
• 10. For top part of loaf, cut remaining piece of dough into 3 equal pieces and roll into a 14 inch long rope. Braid as before, but smaller than the last.
• 11. Place smaller braid on top of first one, stretching if necessary.
• 12. Seal ends and place on greased cookie sheet.
• 13. Cover with damp cloth again and let rise until doubled. (about 45 minutes)
• 14. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 15. in a small bowl, beat egg yolk and 2 Tbsp. water. Brush the loaf with egg yolk and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
• 16. Bake 30 minutes or until loaf is golden.
• 17. Cool on wire rack.

CHALLAH (BRAIDED EGG BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix together 2 1/2 cups flour with the sugar (honey), salt and yeast.
• There is no need to dissolve the yeast first.
• Add the water and oil.
• Mix in 4 eggs.
• Beat in another 1 1/2 cups of flour very well.
• Add 4-5 cups of flour, until a very soft dough is formed.
• Knead for about 10 minutes.
• If using the dough hook, knead for about 7 minutes.
• Let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
• Alternately, let rise in the refrigerator overnight and then let warm to room temperature for about 1 or 2 hours.
• Decide how many challahs you want, how many strands you want to braid in each.
• Make a dough ball for each strand; roll them into ropes and braid.
• Let rise covered for 1/2-1 hour.
• Beat the remaining egg and brush on the challah.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 325 F (150 C) for 30 minutes.
• Apply egg wash once more and bake for another 30 minutes at 350 F (175 C).
• This dough is enough for 4 medium sized challahs.
• You can really let your imagination run rampant here, making intricate braids, placing the braids in a loaf pan, even then winding them into a circle.
• You can add about 1/4 cup of raisins to the dough, but we leave them out.

RICH CHALLAH (BRAIDED EGG BREAD)

Steps:

• In bread machine add to bread pan in order suggested by manufacturer, select dough setting, press start.
• After beep, remove risen dough and follow directions on how to shape and bake below.
• In Kitchen-aid stand mixer or like devise mix dry ingredients in bowl and turn on low speed to incorporate.
• Add eggs one at a time, allow to mix in before adding next one, then add oil.
• Turn mixer up to next speed (2 on Kitchen-aid), add milk in a slow stream, knead until soft, smooth, and warm, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Grease a bowl and place dough in bowl turning to coat.
• Allow to rest and rise until double in size.
• ***Shaping and baking***.
• Punch down and turn out risen dough onto a lightly oiled surface, let rest 5 minutes, punching dough down gets it all excited, it needs to sit and relax.
• Shape dough into a log and cut off 1/3; set aside.
• Cut remaining dough into 3 pieces and roll into 18 inch ropes, start braid from middle and braid to one end, pinch together and tuck under, repeat with other side.
• Cut set aside dough into 3 pieces and roll out to 13-15 inches long, repeat braiding method and place smaller braid on top of larger braid.
• Grease a large 1/2 sheet baking sheet and place finished braid sideways from corner to corner.
• Allow to rise until almost double, mix glaze ingredients and brush loaf gently.
• Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes, cover loosely with foil 15-20 minutes into baking to avoid over browning.

RON'S BRAIDED CHALLAH

Steps:

• For the sponge starter: Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water. Mix to dissolve. Add about 1/2 cup of the bread flour and mix vigorously with a wire whisk. The mixture should look like a thick pancake batter. Cover with plastic or a plate and leave to ferment in a warm room temperature place for about an hour. This sponge will give the challah a rich flavor and will extend its shelf life.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups bread flour, the semolina flour and salt into a mixer bowl. Add the sponge starter, oil, honey, yolks and egg. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the ingredients seem to come together. Then switch to medium speed and knead to develop the gluten, 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should be smooth and satiny, and have a nice stretch.
• Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixer bowl. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil and turn the dough so it's lightly coated. Cover with plastic or a plate and let rise in a warm area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. To test, lightly poke a finger in the dough. It should be relaxed and not pull back to shape immediately.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and fold it over upon itself few times to redistribute the yeast. If using, sprinkle the raisins onto the dough and press them into it.
• Divide into desired number of braids (3, 4 or 6) and roll each braid to elongate. Braid the strands to a long loaf or a round shape and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the braided loaf with the egg wash and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F as the challah rises.
• Reapply the egg wash and, if using, sprinkle the seeds before placing the tray with the challah in the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. The challah will develop a deep brown and shiny crust, and will sound hollow when tapped on the underside. Cool on a rack.

CHALLAH I (BRAIDED EGG BREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup water in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over water and mix,let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
• Add the next 6 ingredients to mixing bowl. Mix with dough hook for 6 minutes. Dough should be a little sticky.
• Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk.
• Punch down dough. Let rise again until double in bulk.
• Punch down again. Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
• Roll dough into three long strands. Braid the strands, tucking ends under. Cover with towel and let double in bulk.
• Brush with beaten egg yolk. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake at 400 F for approximately 30 minutes, until golden brown. The challah is done when it sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

THREE-STRANDED BRAIDED CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine yeast and warm water in large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer.
• Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes Add all-purpose flour, 2 large eggs and 2 egg yolks, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, sugar and salt.
• Mix by hand or on low speed until blended.
• Gradually stir in bread flour.
• Knead for about 8 minutes by hand or with dough hook of mixer on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic and doesn't stick to hands or bowl.
• Transfer to oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil.
• Cover with plastic wrap.
• Let rise in warm place until doubled in volume, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down, knead briefly, and refrigerate covered until it has again nearly doubled in volume, 4-12 hours.
• To shape the dough: Divide dough into three pieces and weigh to be sure that they are of equal size.
• On an unfloured work surface, roll into balls and let rest, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for ten minutes or so.
• Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal.
• (You can also bake this on a pizza stone with cornmeal-covered parchment, which is what I do.) Roll each ball into a 13-14 inch-long rope, about 1.
• 5 inches thick and slightly tapered at the ends.
• Dust three dough ropes with rye flour (I just used AP flour) so that they will be more distinctly separated.
• Place the three dough ropes side by side and pinch top ends together.
• Lift left dough rope and place between right and middle ropes.
• Lift right dough rope and place it between left and middle ropes.
• Keep doing this until you reach the ends.
• Tuck both ends of braid underneath loaf and set it on baking sheet.
• Whisk together egg and salt and brush over the top of the loaf.
• Don't skip this step--the egg will give you a shiny, beautifully browned challah loaf!
• Loosely cover braid with lightly oiled plastic wrap.
• Let rise in a warm place until not quite doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Brush loaf again with egg wash.
• If desired, sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
• (I prefer poppy seeds.) Bake until crust is golden brown, and bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes.
• Let cool on rack.
• To freeze, allow to cool COMPLETELY and wrap thickly with plastic wrap.
• To thaw, place in 200-250 degree oven until thawed, about 35-40 minutes.

BRAIDED EGG BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients along with eggs. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Set a third of the dough aside. Divide remaining dough into 3 pieces. Shape each into a 13-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. , Divide reserved dough into 3 equal pieces; shape each into a 14-in. rope. Braid ropes. Center 14-in. braid on top of the shorter braid. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, beat egg and water; brush over dough. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cover with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.