Spice Spirit Challah Recipe One Loaf

FAMOUS CHALLAH

Steps:

• First measure out all your ingredients.
• Now from the 1/2 of cup sugar take 1 tablespoon of the sugar & combine it with the yeast& warm water (you know you have the right temperature of warm water when it's the same temperature as the inside of your wrist).
• I let my mixer bowl which is metal (kitchen aid) sit in a hot water bath while the yeast dissolves, 10 minutes.
• After the yeast has dissolved (it's nice & foamy) add to it the rest of the sugar, salt & 3 1/2 cups flour.
• Mix well (I use the bread hook).
• Add egg (already beaten) & oil.
• Slowly start mixing in most of the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour.
• The dough will become quite thick.
• When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, turn it onto a floured surface& knead for approximately 10 minute.
• Add only enough additional flour to make dough manageable.
• Knead until dough has acquired a "life of its own"; it should be smooth & elastic, springing back when pressed lightly with your fingertip.
• Place dough into a large oiled bowl turning the dough once so its oiled on all sides.
• Cover with a damp towel & let rise in a warm place for 2 hours, punching down in 4-5 places every 20 minutes.
• Now, I always write down what time I started so I don't forget when the 2 hours are up & set a timer every 20 minutes. (In the summer I let the dough rise on my balcony & in the winter in front of my oven where something is always baking, turning it every time I punch down the dough).
• After the 2 hours, turn your dough onto your working surface.
• Now comes the forming part.
• For Shabbos I always make a 2 level braided challah which looks great & is really easy.
• Prepare your baking sheet lining it with parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• First, take a large knife & cut the dough in half.
• Next, from each 1/2 now cut off a third & place the 2 thirds on the side.
• Now, from the first half (where you've removed a third) divide the remaining dough into approximately equal thirds.
• Roll each third out till its about 10-12 inches (I'm guessing I never measured it) & braid all 3 roll together pinching the top & bottom half together& turning them slightly under.
• Place on baking sheet.
• Repeat the same for other half.
• Now take the first third you removed earlier& divide in 3, braid just like you did before& place on top of the already braided challah.
• Repeat same for other third.
• Now let the challah rise for 1/2 an hour.
• After the challah has risen glaze with beaten egg & add mohn or sesame if you wish.
• Almost done!
• Put in preheated oven & let bake for exactly 25 minutes!
• Turn off oven & leave Challahs in for exactly another 10 minutes!
• Remove from oven.
• Enjoy--you deserve every compliment you get!

AMAZING FAST RISE CHALLAH BREAD - ONE SMALL LOAF

Steps:

• Mix warm water, oil and egg together into a stand mixer bowl. Mix, with kneading hook, until blended.
• Add salt, sugar, and yeast and flour ( small amount at a time). Mix with hook until a soft dough is formed. You may need to add a bit more warm water ( or more flour if needed). Check the dough, it should be soft and slightly sticky. It should easily form into a smooth ball. When the right consistency is reached, knead with hook for 6 minutes.
• Take dough ball out and place into oiled bowl-turn it over so that the oil in on all sides. Cover with saran wrap and let rise until doubled ( about 30 minutes or more).
• Punch down dough and divide into thirds. Roll each piece into a strand . Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place all three strands onto sheet and braid. Cover with saran wrap and let rise again until doubled ( about 30 minutes or more). In the mean time preheat oven to 375°F.
• Brush top of braid with beaten egg yolk and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

CHALLAH, MULTICOLOR

Steps:

• for the vegetable-colored loaves: peel and dice beets and carrot.
• put beets, carrots, and spinach in separate saucepans with enough water to cover by 1/2 inch, and cook each until soft, adding water as needed to keep just under cover.
• in turns, puree each vegetable and its cooking water, adding water as needed to get 2 cups of liquid puree from each vegetable.
• you should now have 2 cups each of spinach, carrot and beet puree. let each cool to just barely warm.
• pour each puree into separate large mixing bowls, and put 1 2/3 cup water into a fourth mixing bowl for standard challah. these will be the 4 separate batches of dough.
• to each liquid add 1/2 cup oil, then 1/2 cup honey.
• hint: pour the oil just before the honey, and the honey will slip right out of the measuring cup.
• mix well, then add 3 eggs to each batch, and mix again.
• to each mix add 3 tsp salt, mix well.
• add 3 cups bread flour to each batch, mix until sloppy.
• add 2 scant Tablespoons instant dry yeast to each batch, mix well.
• continue adding flour (this is where I switch to all-purpose) to each batch until thick enough to turn out and knead.
• one at a time, knead each batch on a floured surface, adding more bread flour as needed.
• the dough has enough flour when it is feeling rather firm, bounces back when you press on it, and feels tacky but not sticky.
• when each batch is done being kneaded, put it back in its mixing bowl, coating the mixing bowl first with a little oil. flip the dough around in the oil to cover entirely with a thin film of oil.
• cover each batch with a large plate, or with heavy plastic wrap, and let sit 45-50 minutes in a warm spot to rise until approximately doubled in size.
• one at a time, flip each batch of dough onto floured surface, knead briefly, and cut and form 12 long strips for braiding. flour each lightly to keep from sticking.
• keep strands in a pile of each color, until all doughs are done being made into strips.
• you now have 4 piles of 12 strips each to braid.
• make 4-strand braids using one strip of each color. (to see a demo of this, GO TO-->).
• http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tipTechniqueView.cfm?objectid=11754DCC-E8FC-4498-A0F52DD050659A71.
• put loaves on parchment-covered baking sheets, cover well with plastic wrap or with a large plastic tablecloth, and let rise 30-45 minutes in a warm spot, until doubled in size.
• add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup water to 3 egg whites and mix well.
• use egg white mixture to glaze loaves after rising is done, using a soft bristle pastry brush.
• bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, or until nicely browned and sounding hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf.
• cool on racks.
• freezes well.