Double Braid Challah Bread With Sesame Seeds Food

CHALLAH

Steps:

• 1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over low heat just until it's warm to the touch. Remove from the heat.
• 2. Dump the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast to the well along with a few drops of honey and 1/2 cup or so of the warm milk. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• 3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining milk and honey, the oil, and 3 of the eggs. Stir together. Add the salt and stir again. Gradually stir the liquid mixture into the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. When the dough becomes sticky and difficult to stir, dump onto a floured surface and knead it by hand, adding a little more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking, until smooth and elastic.
• 4. Knead the dough into a ball. Slick another large bowl with oil, add the dough, and turn to slick the surface with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand in a warm place until double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• 5. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Gently punch the dough down and turn it onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into four equal portions, working with one portion at a time and keeping the rest covered with a damp cloth. Divide one portion of dough into three equal pieces and roll each piece into a rope about 1 foot long and slightly tapered at the ends. Line the ropes side by side on one side of the baking sheet and braid them, pinching the ends to seal and tucking them underneath. Repeat this process with the remaining dough until you have four nicely braided loaves. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand until nearly double in size, another 25 minutes or so.
• 6. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 7. Lightly beat the remaining egg and brush it over the tops of the challah loaves. Sprinkle with the nigella or sesame seeds. Bake the loaves until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

SESAME WHEAT BRAIDS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar and oil; mix well. Stir in whole wheat flour; let stand until the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. , In a small bowl, beat eggs and water. Remove 2 tablespoons to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate. Add remaining egg mixture and salt to batter; mix until smooth. Add 4 cups all-purpose flour and beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a 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 hour. Punch dough down and divide in half. Divide each half into thirds., Shape each into a rope about 15 in. long. Place 3 ropes on a greased baking sheet; braid. Pinch each end firmly and tuck under., Repeat, placing second braid on the same baking sheet. Brush braids with the reserved egg mixture; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to cool on a wire 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.

SESAME SEED CHALLAH (EGYPTIAN HOLIDAY BREAD)

Steps:

• Combine yeast with water and pinch of sugar and set aside.
• Combine flour, remaining sugar, salt and 2 eggs in large mixing bowl.
• Add yeast mixture and mix well.
• Dough will be moist and sticky.
• Knead until dough is smooth, about 10 minutes, adding flour or water as needed.
• Dough should still be moist.
• Return to bowl, sprinkle dough with flour, cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Divide dough in half, place each half on lightly floured board and lightly knead into round loaves.
• Place on greased baking sheet, leaving space between loaves, as they will rise and expand when baking.
• Beat remaining egg.
• Brush loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and completely baked inside, 20 to 30 minutes.

BRAIDED SESAME SEED BREAD

Steps:

• Into hot milk, stir sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup butter.
• Cool to lukewarm.
• Sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl.
• Stir to dissolve.
• Stir in lukewarm milk mixture.
• Add 2 eggs and 3 cups flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes.
• With a wooden spoon gradually beat in 3 1/2 cups flour and mix with hand until dough is stiff enough to leave the side of the bowl.
• Knead for 10 minutes or until elastic.
• Place dough in lightly greased large bowl.
• Turn dough over to bring up greased side.
• Cover with towel and let rise for 1 1/2 hours in warm place.
• Divide dough in half and cut each half into thirds.
• Roll each third into 26" long strips.
• Braid three strips and pinch ends together.
• On a large greased cookie sheet, form braid into a ring (6 inches in diameter).
• Mix egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush top.
• Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Let rise 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Brush with rest of egg mixture and put sesame or poppy seeds on top.
• Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown.

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.

EVERYTHING CHALLAH

Steps:

• Mix the yeast, water, and sugar together in a large bowl, stir to dissolve the sugar, and let the mixture stand until a creamy layer forms on top, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil, and sprinkle the yeast mixture with 2 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds, 2 tablespoons of dried onion, 1 tablespoon of dried garlic, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the flour a cup at a time up to 6 cups, then add more by half-cups if needed to make an elastic but not sticky dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a compact round shape, and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over several times in the bowl to oil the surface of the dough, cover the bowl with a cloth, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 2 equal size pieces. To make 3-strand braided loaves, cut each piece into 3 pieces. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheets. Cover the loaves, and let them rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix sesame seeds, kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of poppy seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of dried onion, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried garlic in a small bowl. Brush the loaves with beaten egg, and sprinkle with the seed mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the loaves are cooked through and golden brown, 45 to 60 minutes. Check for doneness after 45 minutes of baking time.