Delicious Whole Wheat Challah Recipes

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.

IRRESISTIBLE WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, and vital wheat gluten until well mixed. In another bowl, stir together the honey, olive oil, water, eggs, and raisins. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until it forms a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. 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 cloth, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough, knead it a few times to remove some of the bubbles, and cut it into 2 equal-sized pieces. Set 1 piece of dough aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you shape or braid the first loaf as desired.
• 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 loaf, place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm for best flavor.

DELICIOUS WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• Combine the water, oil, honey and yeast in a large bowl, mixing gently. Let it rest till it begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.
• While the yeast is resting combine the flours and salt in a different bowl. Once there is a layer of bubbles add the flour mixture and knead well.
• Cover with plastic wrap and a damp cloth and let rise for two hours in a warm area. After it has doubled in size, shape your challahs.
• Bake at 265 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes and then turn up the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for another 25 minutes.

DELICIOUS WHOLE-WHEAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• Crumble up yeast into warm water and hand whisk together very well
• Add the sugar and continue to mix until sugar dissolves
• Sift flour into mixing bowl
• Slowly add the yeast water to the flour and mix well with dough hook till well combined
• Slowly add the eggs one by one
• Then add the oil bit by bit
• Add the honey
• Lastly add the salt
• Mix well on a low speed till mixture forms a smooth glossy dough
• Cover mixture with cling film or towel and leave to rise in warm place till it doubles in size
• Take Challah from it, say Blessing and burn
• Bash out the air from the mixture and roll Challah into shapes and leave again in warm area for 15-20 minutes to rise more
• Paint Challahs well with egg - add sesame/ poppy/ sunflower seeds, etc.
• Bake at 350°F oven for roughly 45 minutes till golden brown top and bottom

WHOLE GRAIN CHALLAH

Steps:

• Please watch the video for detailed instructions. The following is intended as a general guideline to accompany the video.
• Combine the dry ingredients (not the seeds).
• Combine all the wet ingredients (except the egg wash) in a medium bowl.
• Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Knead the dough for 5-7 minute or do a series of 3 or 4 stretch-and-folds at 10-15 minute intervals.
• Let the dough rise in covered bowl until about doubled in volume. The time it takes can vary greatly depending mostly on room temperature. Figure on somewhere between 1 to 2 hours.
• Punch down the dough. On a flour dusted work surface, divide the dough into equally weighted balls (one ball for each strand you intend to braid).
• Roll the balls into strands and braid into whatever style suits your fancy. Reference YouTube for numerous options.
• Place loaf on parchment lined baking sheet, apply egg wash, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds and cover with plastic wrap (mist plastic wrap with a spray of oil to prevent it sticking to dough). Over the next 1-2 hours the dough will rise about 50% to as much as nearly doubling.
• Place in 350º oven until the internal dough temperature reaches 190º. Bake time is about 18-20 minutes. Ovens vary, so the first time you make this bread, start checking the dough temp at about the 16 minute mark.
• Let cool for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy while fresh and warm.

LAURA FRANKEL'S WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• Make a sponge: Place the tepid water, whole-wheat flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl or in a bowl that attaches to a mixer. Stir this mixture together or do like we do and use your hands and really get in there and mush it together. Cover the mixture and allow it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients adding only enough flour until the mixture is not wet and sticky. You many not need the entire 4 cups of flour. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until the dough is supple and smooth. Cover and let it rest for at least one hour or store the dough wrapped tightly over night in the refrigerator.
• Shape the dough into your favorite loaf. Place the loaves on a lightly greases sheet pan. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for two hours.
• Whisk together yolks and water, brush the loaves with the egg wash, sprinkle with seeds if using, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the challot are browned and make a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom (about 30-45 minutes).
• Let the challot sit for at least one hour before cutting it. The baking process continues for 20 minutes after the bread is removed from the oven. Steam continues cooking the bread and making it dense and moist. Cutting the crust would allow the steam to escape.