Honey Vanilla Challah Food

HONEY-VANILLA CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine the yeast, sugar, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Add warm milk, 2 eggs, 4 tbsp olive oil, honey, and vanilla. Vigorously mix the ingredients until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through, about 3 minutes. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, switching to a wooden spoon when the dough becomes too thick for the whisk. Continue mixing the dough until too stiff to stir.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and springy, about 4 minutes. If the dough is sticky, dust with flour 1 tablespoon at a time - just enough to prevent it from sticking to the surface. The dough is done when it's smooth and small air bubbles show under the skin. If you press your thumb into it the impression should bounce back. This is a slightly firm dough, which is exactly what you want for easy braiding later on.
• Place the dough in a deep container greased with 1 tsp of olive oil. Turn the dough once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with non-stick spray. Gently deflate the dough by pressing your fingers into it, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Divide into 3 equal portions, and roll each portion out into a smooth, thick strip about 20 inches long, with the ends slightly thinner than the middle. Lay these ropes side-by-side, not quite touching.
• Beginning in the middle and working towards you, braid the lower half of the three ropes. To braid, alternately move the outside ropes over the one in the center - left over, right over, left over -until you come to the end. Now go to the other side of your working space and braid the other half, this time moving the outside ropes under the center one. Braid tightly - you don't want any gaps. When you finish braiding each side crimp the tapered ends together, then tuck them under.
• Preheat oven to 350 °F and place the braided dough on a baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Just before the rising time has finished whisk together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of olive oil, this is going to be the glaze for your bread. Gently brush the dough with a thick layer of it. Place the dough in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the bread is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when you thump it on the bottom. Transfer to a baking rack to cool. Allow to cool before slicing.

HONEY CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water. Separate two eggs; refrigerate two egg whites. Place remaining egg yolks and eggs in a large bowl. Add 2/3 cup honey, oil, salt, yeast mixture, 3 cups flour and remaining warm water; beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Pour boiling water over raisins in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Knead in raisins. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Divide one portion into six pieces. Roll each into a 16-in. rope. Place ropes parallel on a greased baking sheet; pinch ropes together at the top. , To braid, take the rope on the right and carry it over the two ropes beside it, then slip it under the middle rope and carry it over the last two ropes. Lay the rope down parallel to the other ropes; it is now on the far left side. Repeat these steps until you reach the end. As the braid moves to the left, you can pick up the loaf and re-center it on your work surface as needed. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. For a fuller loaf, using your hands, push the ends of the loaf closer together. Repeat process with remaining dough. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg whites and honey with water; brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool.

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

HONEYED CHALLAH AND APPLE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch-square baking dish and place in the oven until the butter melts. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven and use a brush to coat the bottom and sides evenly with the melted butter. Set aside.
• While the oven is preheating and the butter melting, heat the remaining butter in a heavy skillet, add the apples and sauté over high heat until they just begin to soften and take on color, about five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Mix the milk, honey and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add the challah pieces and allow to soak about 10 minutes, until the milk is fairly well absorbed. Beat the eggs until frothy, mix them with the challah and add half the cinnamon and the sautéed apples.
• Transfer the mixture to baking dish. Mix the remaining cinnamon with the sugar and sprinkle over the top. Bake about 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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!

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix yeast, warm water and 1 cup of bread flour into a thin batter, and let stand until the mixture shows frothy bubbles, about 10 minutes. Stir in vegetable oil, honey, 3 eggs, and salt until well combined. Beat in 2 more cups of bread flour and the whole wheat flour, alternating flours by cupfuls, until the dough is too stiff to stir in more flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed to form a slightly sticky dough. Form the dough into a round shape. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Punch down the dough, knead it a few times to remove some of the bubbles, and cut it into 3 equal-sized pieces. Cut the first piece into 3 equal parts. Set the rest of the dough aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you braid the first loaf.
• 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. Repeat for the other 2 loaves, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, and brush the egg mixture over the braided challah loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack before slicing.

SWEET HONEY AND SAFFRON CHALLAH

Steps:

• 1. Place the saffron into the cup of hot water and stir to dissolve. Pour into a large bowl. Pour in the honey and whisk until dissolved. Add the yeast and stir again. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and stir to mix everything together. Cover with a clean dish cloth and let sit for 30 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, in another bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, place 2 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and margarine. Using a whisk, an electric mixer, or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, cut the margarine into the dry ingredients until it looks like sand and there are no big clumps of margarine.
• 3. After the half hour, the yeast mixture should have changed: It will either look thick, have bubbles, or have increased in size. If the mixture has not changed, your yeast may be dead and you should dump that mixture and make a new one with new yeast. Beat 2 of the eggs in a small bowl. Add the eggs to the yeast mixture and mix using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Add the flour and margarine mixture in three parts, mixing well after each addition. With your hands or a dough hook on the stand mixer, knead the dough and add 1/4 cup of the flour. If the dough remains sticky, add another 1/4 cup of flour. Add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is no longer sticky and feels soft when you slide your hand across it.
• 4. Wash the bowl, dry it, and rub the oil round the bowl. Add the dough and rub the top with the oil on your hands. Cover with a dish towel and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• 5. Sprinkle the top of the cookie with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Slide the parchment onto a cookie sheet and bake for 35 to 37 minutes, until the edges start to look golden. Remove from the oven and immediately cut the cookie into 8 or 12 large wedges or about eighteen 1 x 3-inch bars, if you like. If you wait until the cookie cools to cut it, you will not get nice clean edges. 5. Place the dough on a floured surface and punch it down to remove air pockets. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 balls, depending on how many challahs you will bake. Divide each ball into three pieces. Roll the three pieces into strands the same length, shorter for a fatter challah, longer for a long and narrow challah. Braid the strands. *See instructions in "Braiding Challah" below.
• 6. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise another 1 1/2 hours. Beat the remaining egg and brush the challahs with the egg.
• 7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is browned and when you lift the challah and tap on the bottom, it sounds hollow. Remove the challahs to a wire rack to cool.