Challah Crowns Recipes

CHALLAH

Steps:

• Butter a large bowl; set aside. Stir all remaining ingredients, except the egg for the egg wash and the butter for brushing, in a large bowl until well combined. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead the dough, adding flour if needed, until smooth and pliable, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to the buttered bowl; brush the top with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead 5 minutes, then return to the bowl. Brush the top with the remaining tablespoon melted butter, and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour more.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and loosely cover each ball with buttered plastic wrap. Let rest 20 minutes.
• Roll each ball into a 12-inch-long log, leaving the middle a little thicker than the ends. Lay the logs side by side lengthwise; pinch together the ends farthest from you, then tightly braid the strands, pulling them as you go. Tuck the ends of the braid underneath. Transfer to a buttered baking sheet, and loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap. Let rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Brush the dough lightly with egg wash. Bake until golden brown and firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bottom registers 180°F and comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. If the challah browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil. Immediately transfer to a wire rack; let cool at least 45 minutes before serving.
• A dough that rises properly will approximately double in size; it will become smooth and puffy and feel very light. Punching down the dough releases excess gases that develop during rising-one or two good punches should be sufficient.
• Separate the dough into thirds (use a kitchen scale to ensure they are of equal weight), and roll them into long strands. To make a loaf that swells generously in the middle like ours does, leave the center of each strand thicker than the ends.
• To braid, press the strand ends farthest from you together firmly, and then tuck them underneath to prevent the challah from unwinding while it rises.
• Braid the strands tightly so the loaf is smooth and uniform.

CHALLAH I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, salt, eggs and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm 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. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Divide each portion into thirds. Shape each piece into a 15-in. rope. , Place 3 ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Beat egg and cold water; brush over braids. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

MY FAVORITE CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
• If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking. Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
• Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.