Chocolate Chip Challah Food

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, honey, eggs, egg yolks, salt and vanilla; mix well., Add 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead in chocolate chips. Divide dough in half; divide each half into three portions. Shape each piece into an 12-in. rope., Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour., Combine cream and sugar. Brush some of the mixture over braids. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks and brush with remaining cream mixture. Cool.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 3 cups of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk the warm water, melted butter, eggs, and egg yolk. With the mixer on low, slowly add the water mixture and mix until a rough dough starts to form. Increase the speed to medium-low and let the machine knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic for about 8 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. If the dough is too sticky, add up to 1/2 cup flour a little at a time.
• Lightly grease a large bowl, form the dough into a smooth ball, and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours (it took a little over 2 hours in my cold kitchen). To check if your dough has risen enough, press a finger into the dough. If it springs back, let it rise a little bit longer. If it stays indented, move onto the next step.
• When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured countertop and cut it in half. Roll the first half out into a rectangle and sprinkle the chocolate chips over it. Roll the dough into a tight rope. Very carefully stretch the rope of dough as far as you think you can from each end, and cut this long rope in half. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
• Place two ropes of dough in each direction, perpendicular to each other, like a pound symbol #. Weave them so that one rope is over and the other is under where they meet. Take the four legs that come from underneath the center and cross them over the rope to its right. Take the ropes that are now on the bottom and, again, cross each over the top rope, this time to the left. If you have extra length in your ropes, you can repeat these left-right jumps until you run out of rope. Tuck the ends of the ropes under the dough with the sides of your hands to form a round shape.*
• Once you've formed your challah, place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Beat the egg white and brush it over the dough. Let the challah rise another hour.
• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until deeply brown. If your challah is getting too dark too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time. The challah is done when a thermometer inserted into the center of the dough reads 195°F, or if you don't have an instant thermometer, lift the challah gently with an oven mitt and knock gently on the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it's done.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar in the water. Whisk until completely combined.
• Add vegetable oil and whisk. Then add 4 of the eggs, whisking for about one minute after each egg is added. Whisk in remaining sugar and salt. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing with a sturdy spoon after each cup.
• When all of the flour has been added, turn dough onto floured surface and knead the dough to remove all lumps. Clean out bowl and grease it. Form dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Let dough rise for one hour in a warm. The dough should approximately double in size. Punch it down and then put chocolate chips in center of dough and reform dough into a ball so that the chocolate chips are encased in the center of the dough. Allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
• Remove dough from warm spot and place dough ball onto floured surface. Using a long serated knife, cut the dough in half and then cut each halve into thirds. Reform all six dough balls so that the chocolate is encased in the center of each ball. Then, using your hands, roll out each ball into a strand approximately 15 inches in length. Take three strands and pinch them together at one end, tucking the pinched ends under the bread. Braid the three strands together. When you get to the end of the strands, pinch the strands together and tuck under loaf. Repeat for remaining three strands to create a second loaf.
• Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Gently transfer the challahs to the baking sheet. Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl and brush generously onto each challah. Return loafs to warm spot to rise for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375. Brush challahs with second round of egg wash. Be sure to get egg wash into all the cracks and crevices. Place loaves into oven on middle rack. Fill a baking dish or roasting pan with about two inches of water. Place dish on the rack below the challahs. Bake the challahs for thirty minutes, rotating the baking sheet once in the middle of baking time. Challahs should have a medium golden brown crust and sound hollow when tapped. Be sure to check challahs near end of baking time in order to avoid over cooking. Continue cooking past 30 minutes if challahs aren't golden brown yet.
• Cool challahs completely on wire baking rack.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and 1 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside while you measure out the other dry ingredients, or until frothy.
• Whisk 3 1/2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 egg, the vegetable oil and 1 cup warm water; stir until combined. Gradually stir in the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour until the dough starts to come together. Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball into a 1 1/2-to-2-inch-wide strand, about 16 inches long. Lay the strands side by side on a sheet of parchment paper and pinch them together at one end.
• Braid the 3 strands: Cross the right strand over the middle strand. Then cross the left strand over the middle strand. Repeat, crossing the right strand over the middle strand, then the left over the middle, until all of the dough is braided. Pinch the dough together at the end.
• Slide the loaf (with the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash all over the loaf. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine warmed milk and melted butter with the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until incorporated and smooth.
• Line a large baking dish with two-thirds of the challah slices. Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips and half the raisins. Top with remaining challah slices, layering them one on top of the other, and then remaining chocolate chips and raisins, making sure the chips and raisins get inside the layers created by the challah slices.
• Pour milk mixture slowly over the top of everything and let stand until the bread has absorbed almost all of the liquid, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Wrap the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer until set in the middle and lightly browned on top.
• Remove from oven and let cool before serving. Serve with the Chocolate Ganache drizzled over top.
• Chocolate Ganache:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream to just below a simmer.
• Place the chocolate chips in a medium heat-proof bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove plastic wrap and whisk vigorously until ganache becomes a uniform smooth chocolate sauce. Serve while warm.
• Cook's Note: To make in advance, let cool, cover tightly and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Then microwave on low heat for 20 to 30 second intervals or heat over a double boiler.

CHOCOLATE CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Arrange bread slices in a 13x9-in. dish. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk and vanilla. Gradually whisk into dry ingredients until smooth. Pour over bread. Let stand 10 minutes, turning once., In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook bread for 3-4 minutes each side or until toasted. Serve with toppings of your choice.

MY FAVORITE CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon 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.)
• 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.
• 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 what is now 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 in refrigerator if preferred.
• To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. (If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.) Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
• Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.

CHALLAH IN A HURRY

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, blend together warm water, melted margarine, sugar, and 3 beaten eggs
• In a large bowl, mix together yeast, salt, and 7 cups of the flour. Gradually stir in liquid ingredients, and mix until dough holds together.
• Knead dough on a floured surface with remaining flour until smooth.
• Split the dough into 2 large pieces. Split the 2 large pieces into 3 pieces each. Roll each third into a rope 3/4 inch thick and braid 3 strands together. Repeat. Place shaped dough onto greased cookie sheets. Brush dough with remaining beaten egg. Add poppy or sesame seeds, if desired. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Bake in a preheated 325 degree F(165 degrees C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHALLAH

Steps:

• Mix the warm water, 1/3 cup canola oil, honey, 2 eggs and salt in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Add the bread flour and cocoa powder and mix until dough is a shaggy mess.
• Add the instant yeast and mix well.
• Now add the all-purpose flour one cup at a time, until too thick to stir.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and continue to add flour while kneading for about 10-15 minutes.
• When you are done kneading the dough will bounce back at you when you press on it. The surface will no longer be sticky or come off on your fingers, but will be tacky to the touch, like a post-it note.
• Pour the 2 Tbsp canola into a mixing bowl, and coat the bottom and sides with oil.
• Put the dough in the oiled bowl, and flip the dough around to uniformly coat with oil.
• Cover the bowl and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled. (For me this was about 2 hours.).
• Punch down dough and separate into loaves. Loaves can be braided like traditional challah, or baked in a bread loaf pan, or formed into any shape you like.
• Put formed loaves aside to rise a second time, covered, until doubled in size. (This took about 2 1/2 hours for me.).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Just prior to baking, mix one remaining egg with a bit of water (about a teaspoon or so) and a small pinch of salt. Use this mixture to glaze the loaves.
• Bake loaves for 30 minutes, rotating once midway to keep browning even.
• Cool on racks.
• Freezes well.