Challah Braid Food

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.

SIX BRAID CHALLAH

Steps:

• Recipe makes 2 loafs.
• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid-it's a bit much for it, though it can be done.).
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• At this point, you can knead the raisins into the challah, if you're using them, before forming the loaves. If you've never braided a challah before, you may benefit from watching a video on youtube or facebook or whatever.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls.
• With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.
• Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another.
• Pinch the tops of the strands together.
• Move the outside right strand over 2 strands.
• Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right.
• Take the outside left strand and move it over 2.
• Move second strand from the right over to the far left.
• Start over with the outside right strand.
• Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath.
• For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way.
• Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
• If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.
• Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.) Cool loaves on a rack.
• Note: Any of the three risings can be done in the fridge for a few hours, for more deeply-developed flavor. When you're ready to work with it again, bring it back to room temperature before moving onto the next step.
• Round or straight braid? Raisins or skip them? Straight loaves of braided challah are eaten throughout the year-typically on the Sabbath-round challahs, often studded with raisins, are served for the New Year and the other High Holidays that follow.

CHALLAH WITH SAFFRON

Steps:

• Warm the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook by rinsing it with hot water. Pour the warm water into the bowl (be sure it's at least 110 degrees F when it?s in the bowl) and mix in the yeast, sugar and saffron. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, until it starts to froth, which tells you that the yeast is active. Add the eggs and egg yolk and mix on low speed. With the mixer on low, gradually add 4 1/2 cups of the flour, scraping down the bowl as you go. With the mixer on low, add the salt and butter, then slowly add between 1 and 1 1/2 more cups of the flour, mixing on low for about 5 minutes and continuing to add a dusting of flour to the bowl but only enough so the dough doesn't stick to the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be soft and a little sticky.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it by hand for a full 2 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball with the smooth side up. Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl, smooth-side down. Roll the dough around to cover it with oil, then turn it smooth-side up, making sure the entire dough is covered with oil to prevent a crust from forming. Cover the bowl with a clean dry kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Punch the dough down lightly and turn it out onto an unfloured cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Turn the first ball of dough smooth-side up and roll it into a cylinder. Roll the dough into a rope 17 inches long and lay it seam-side down on the parchment paper. Repeat for the other 3 balls of dough, laying them side by side on the parchment paper.
• To braid the dough, pile one end of the ropes on top of each other and pinch them together and under. With the pinched end away from you, take the far right rope and move it left over 2 ropes. Then take the far left rope and move it right over 2 ropes. Continue taking alternate ropes and laying them over 2 ropes until you?ve braided the entire bread. Pinch the ends together and fold them under. Cover the bread with a clean dry kitchen towel and allow it to sit in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Brush the bread thoroughly with the egg wash and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the outside is browned and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. Place the challah on a baking rack and cool completely.

CHALLAH I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

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.

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.

FAMOUS CHALLAH

Steps:

• First measure out all your ingredients.
• Now from the 1/2 of cup sugar take 1 tablespoon of the sugar & combine it with the yeast& warm water (you know you have the right temperature of warm water when it's the same temperature as the inside of your wrist).
• I let my mixer bowl which is metal (kitchen aid) sit in a hot water bath while the yeast dissolves, 10 minutes.
• After the yeast has dissolved (it's nice & foamy) add to it the rest of the sugar, salt & 3 1/2 cups flour.
• Mix well (I use the bread hook).
• Add egg (already beaten) & oil.
• Slowly start mixing in most of the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour.
• The dough will become quite thick.
• When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, turn it onto a floured surface& knead for approximately 10 minute.
• Add only enough additional flour to make dough manageable.
• Knead until dough has acquired a "life of its own"; it should be smooth & elastic, springing back when pressed lightly with your fingertip.
• Place dough into a large oiled bowl turning the dough once so its oiled on all sides.
• Cover with a damp towel & let rise in a warm place for 2 hours, punching down in 4-5 places every 20 minutes.
• Now, I always write down what time I started so I don't forget when the 2 hours are up & set a timer every 20 minutes. (In the summer I let the dough rise on my balcony & in the winter in front of my oven where something is always baking, turning it every time I punch down the dough).
• After the 2 hours, turn your dough onto your working surface.
• Now comes the forming part.
• For Shabbos I always make a 2 level braided challah which looks great & is really easy.
• Prepare your baking sheet lining it with parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• First, take a large knife & cut the dough in half.
• Next, from each 1/2 now cut off a third & place the 2 thirds on the side.
• Now, from the first half (where you've removed a third) divide the remaining dough into approximately equal thirds.
• Roll each third out till its about 10-12 inches (I'm guessing I never measured it) & braid all 3 roll together pinching the top & bottom half together& turning them slightly under.
• Place on baking sheet.
• Repeat the same for other half.
• Now take the first third you removed earlier& divide in 3, braid just like you did before& place on top of the already braided challah.
• Repeat same for other third.
• Now let the challah rise for 1/2 an hour.
• After the challah has risen glaze with beaten egg & add mohn or sesame if you wish.
• Almost done!
• Put in preheated oven & let bake for exactly 25 minutes!
• Turn off oven & leave Challahs in for exactly another 10 minutes!
• Remove from oven.
• Enjoy--you deserve every compliment you get!