Challah !!!

I have a fascination with Challah!!!

I love to bake! I've been baking Challah for several years now. I'm always looking for the next great recipe. The other day I stumbled onto a site that talked about slicing frozen, uncooked Challah dough and inserting Milky Way candybars into the slot before you baked the bread. Something about that just caught my attention. Now, I'm not that into Milky Way bars or frozen, pre-made food but the combination just seemed to trip a switch in me. So, it was back to the kitchen I go.

I found a great Challah recipe that I've tested this week and it works really well!

Challah

1 T yeast
1-1/8 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
2 eggs, + 1 egg for glazing
1/2 T salt
1/4 c oil
4-1/2 c flour
poppy, sesame seeds, raw sugar, sliced dried fruit, chocolate chips, as desired

Dissolve the yeast in water with a little of the sugar. Beat well and let it rest for a few minutes until it froths.

In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Then add salt, sugar and oil and beat again. Add the yeast mixture and beat well. Then, add the flour gradually until it makes a soft dough that holds together. Then turn it out onto a clean, floured surface and knead it vigorously for 15 minutes (or use your stand mixer for this). Pour a little oil in the bowl and coat the dough in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (a couple of hours depending on the temp--I usually have to use a warmed oven, turned off, to do this as our location is often quite cool). Punch down the dough and knead again. Divide into 2 pieces to make 2 loaves. Mix in additional ingredients. Braid and place on well-oiled cookie sheet(s). Allow to rise again until it doubles in size. Coat with glaze and toppings such as raw sugar, poppy seeds, sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated oven 180*C (325-350* F) for 30-40 minutes or until the loaves are nicely browned and sound 'hollow' when you 'thump' them. ;)


To deal with my 'fix' on that milky way in the middle, I snuck chocolate chips into the middle of each 'strand' in the braid. I've also experimented with kneading in some dried cranberries, dried blueberries and sliced dried mangos before I braid the dough. I have had success with all of these adds-in. I recommend sticking with one type of fruit at a time, though. Otherwise it might start to look/taste like fruit cake (of which I'm not a big fan). For a sweeter challah, add about 1/4 c of honey to the dough. You'll have to adjust the amount of flour you use but it's worth it! Enjoy your Challah!!! It's great for French Toast, too!