It’s a tradition to eat round challah during the holidays to symbolize a repetitive cycle – the end of an old one and the beginning of a new one. Usually people add some sweetness to the challah with raisins, and instead of dipping it in salt, as we dip it in sugar (or honey). I skipped the raisins – a lot of my guests don’t like raisins – but made sure to use plenty of sugar.

This challah was definitely a special one. I’ve been practicing the six-strand braid and got really good at it, but have never braided a round one. It came out really pretty. I also made it dairy, since we were having dairy for the second day of rosh hashanah. Instead of the usual oil and water, I used milk and butter, which I thought would add a delicious flavor.

I recently shared a recipe for challah with you that one used a whole 5-lb bag of flour. This recipe is just for one loaf. Like many recipes, I got this from The Art and Soul of Baking. I like to get a lot of use out of my purchases.The result? A very flaky, crumby challah that would be great for french toast.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup milk (110 – 115 degrees F)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons very soft butter
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, for eggwash

Directions:

1. Combine the milk and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and whisk. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, till it foams. Add the eggs and butter and whisk by hand, until well blended. Stir in the flour and salt. Attach the dough hook and mix on low for two minutes. Turn the mixer to medium and beat for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is elastic and forms a ball on the dough hook.



2. Oil a bowl and put the dough inside. Brush the top with oil, as well, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let double in size, 45-60 minutes.
3. Punch down the dough and shape it. I made a 6-strand braid and pinched the ends together. But if you want to try this way, it looks really pretty! Proof the dough by covering the braid loosely with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise for another 45-50 minutes.



4. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the dough with egg wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Sephardic Jews traditionally tear the bread and throw it across the table in age order. Some people get offended by this. If that’s the case, slice it with a serrated knife.

Rosh Hashana Challah is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

After many years of finding challah recipes from books, cookbooks, and online, I finally found the best recipe. My cousin Sally gave it to me a while ago, but I was skeptical to use a recipe that used an entire 5-pound bag of flour. It was worth it; everyone at the shabbat table loved it, and there were no leftovers.

• 5-pound bag of flour
• 3 tablespoons salt (i always use kosher salt)
• 2 cups warm water + 2-1/4 cups
• 3 packages of yeast
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 egg+splash of water for eggwash

1. Mix one bag of flour with 3 tablespoons of salt (do NOT use sour salt, as my mom once did, and ruined the entire batch)
2. in a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of warm water, 3 packages of yeast, and 2 tablespoons of sugar – mix and let bubble
3. In the flour mixture, add 2 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of oil, 2-1/4 cups warm water and the yeast mixture. Mix and then knead well, for 8-10 minutes. I kneaded the dough by hand, but you can use a stand mixer (ours came the next day). Shape into a ball and cover with oil, let it rise for 1-1/2 hours in a warm place.
4. Punch down the dough and shape it, then let it rise another 1/2 hour – hour. Brush with eggwash and bake for 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
5. I like to braid my challah in 6-strand braids, i think it looks the prettiest. shaping the dough like this definitely takes a lot of practice. I found a lot of written directions on how to do it when i first wanted to learn, but couldn’t follow any of them. I finally figured it out by watching this video.

This recipe makes a LOT of challah, so it’s a good thing it freezes well. let cool completely, wrap in paper and wrap that with tinfoil, then freeze. Take one out every week, defrost, and warm in the oven (350 degrees for about 1o minutes), and you have a fresh challah for the dinner table. Challah makes the best french toast bread, so make extra large loaves for some sunday morning breakfast.

Challah is a post from: The Kosher Foodies