RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Maxine Wolfson Challah - pareve
It's based on a recipe from "The Art of Jewish Cooking", by Jennie Grossinger, but adapted slightly by me. CHALLAH 4 tsp yeast 1 T sugar 1/4 C warm water (100 - 105^F) 4.5 C sifted flour (I use 18 oz by weight) 2 tsp salt (scant) 3 T sugar 1 tsp cinnamon pinch crumbled saffron 2 whole eggs 2 T bland oil 1 cup warm water 1 egg yolk 1 T water 1/2 tsp sugar 4 T poppyseeds Combine first 3 ingredients and let stand 5 minutes. Sift flour, salt, sugar, and spices into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add the eggs, oil, yeast mixture, and the rest of the water. Work into the flour. Turn out onto floured board, oil your hands, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. Place in bowl, brush top with a little oil, and cover. Let rise for about an hour in a warm place. Punch down, and allow to rise again, covered, until doubled in bulk. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each piece between lightly floured hands to make a strip. Pinch together the tops, and braid. Pinch the ends and tuck them under. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour. Set oven to 375^F. Mix egg yolk, water, and sugar together. Brush over the top of the loaf, and then sprinkle with poppy seeds. Put the bread in the fully heated oven for 25 minutes. At the end of this time, remove the bread and brush again with the rest of the egg mixture. Return to the oven for another 25 minutes. My Notes: I divide the dough into fourths, and make 4 challahs that are a bit smaller. They bake up in about 25-30 minutes. For raisin challah, soak 1/2 cup of raisins in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Drain well, and knead into dough before braiding. Makes about 1 kilo of bread.
