No Knead Challah Dough Recipes

EASY NO-KNEAD CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter (or oil) with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (no airtight) food container.
• Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
• Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
• The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze in 1-pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using. Then allow the usual rest and rise time.
• On baking day, butter or grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper, or a silicone mat. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
• Divide the ball into thirds, using a dough scraper or knife. Roll the balls between your hands (or on a board), stretching, to form each into a long, thin rope. If the dough resists shaping, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Braid the ropes, starting from the center and working to one end. Turn the loaf over, rotate it, and braid from the center out to the remaining end. This produces a loaf with a more uniform thickness than when braided from end to end.
• Allow the bread to rest and rise on the prepared cookie sheet for 1 hour and 20 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).
• Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F If you're not using a stone in the oven, 5 minutes is adequate. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds.
• Bake near the center of the oven for about 25 minutes. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time. The challah is done when golden brown, and the braids near the center of the loaf offer resistance to pressure. Due to the fat in the dough, challah will not form a hard, crackling crust. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

JAMIE GELLER'S NO KNEAD CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Combine flour, salt, yeast, water, eggs, sugar and evoo. 2. Mix until combined and then cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. 3. Allow mixture to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before refrigerating for up to 3 days, but for a minimum of 2 days (the flour needs that much time to form gluten strands to give the bread texture). 4. When you are ready to make challah, remove dough from refrigerator and braid as desired. Place braids on parchment lined baking sheets and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. 5. Allow to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or up to 3 (a long rise is necessary for the dough). 6. Preheat oven to 350° F. Brush your challah with egg wash. Once your oven comes to temperature, brush on egg wash again. 7. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake until 12 to 15 minutes more until golden brown and perfectly cooked. Want recipes like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up now for Jamie Geller's Weekly Newsletter.

NO KNEAD CHALLAH DOUGH

Steps:

• Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl or dough bucket.
• Add yeast and salt to flour. Stir with a whisk to combine.
• In a 4-cup measure, heat water in a microwave. If the honey is room temperature and quite thick, the water will need to be quite hot to enable mixing. If the honey is hot from being melted to bring it to a liquid state, the water only needs to be lukewarm. The entire mixture should be lukewarm, you don't want to kill the yeast or cook the eggs.
• Combine warmed water, honey, vegetable oil and eggs in the 4-cup measure. The entire mixture should be lukewarm, you don't want to kill the yeast or cook the eggs. Mix well with the whisk.
• Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and stir together with a wooden spoon until moistened. Beat for about 40 strokes until all ingredients are well combined and dough forms a lumpy, sticky mass similar to muffin batter.
• Cover bowl and let rise at room temperature until about doubled and dough has a sponge-like texture.
• Use dough right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking. This dough can be braided, made into cinnamon buns or formed like other sweet breads.

MIRIAM'S NOT-SO-SECRET CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine water and margarine in a small saucepan. Heat until margarine is melted and very warm, but not boiling.
• In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups flour, white sugar, brown sugar, yeast and salt. Add water and margarine mixture; beat well. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and form into long 'ropes'. Braid the pieces together to form two large loaves. Place the loaves on two lightly greased cookie sheets, cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Brush the risen loaves with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped.