Challah - BWJ

By norsegal8

Think of challah as Eastern European brioche. it is a golden egg-and-butter-rich bread with a texture only slightly tighter than that of brioche. Braided challah is the traditional symbol of the Jewish sabbath, the bread over which grace is said. It is just a little sweet, just a little soft, and just this side of heavenly.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (approximately) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup tepid water (80°F to 90°F)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon mild honey
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 6 1/2 cups (approximately) high-gluten flour, bread flour or all-purpose flour

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Brush a large mixing bowl with some of the melted butter; set aside. Reserve the remaining melted butter for coating the top of the dough.

MIXING THE DOUGH Whisk the yeast into the water. Add a pinch of the sugar and let rest until the yeast has dissolved and is creamy, about 5 minutes.
Cut the butter into small pieces and toss into a small saucepan with the milk; heat until the milk is very warm to the touch and the butter has melted. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining sugar, the honey and salt, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar and salt. If necessary, let the mixture cool so that it is no warmer than 110°F.
Add the creamy yeast to the milk mixture, along with the eggs and stir with the wooden spoon to mix. Stirring vigorously , add the flour, ½ cup at a time, stopping when you have a dough that cleans the sides of the bowl and is difficult to stir. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the counter, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
You can make this dough in a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast , the milk mixture and the eggs are combined, add about 5 cups of the flour, and beat on low speed for 3 minutes, or until the dough starts to come together. Beating on medium-low speed, add as much additional flour as needed to make a soft dough that will clean the sides of the bowl. Knead on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth, soft and elastic.

FIRST AND SECOND RISES Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to the buttered bowl. Brush the top with a little melted butter, cover the bowl with buttered plastic wrap, and top with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in volume. When the dough is fully risen, deflate it, cover as before and let it rise until it doubles in bulk again, 45 minutes to one hour.

SHAPING AND FINAL RISE Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and keep one piece of dough covered while you work with the other.
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches long; it should be thick in the center and tapered at the ends. Align the ropes vertically , side by side and start braiding them from the center down. When you’ve reached the end, turn the loaf around and braid the other side. Pinch the ends to seal and tuck the ends under the loaf. Transfer the loaf to a prepared baking sheet and gently plump it to get it back into shape; cover with a towel. Braid the second loaf, put it on a baking sheet, and cover. Let the loaves rise at room temperature for 40 minutes, or until soft, puffy and almost doubled.

THE GLAZE AND TOPPING
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water or heavy cream
Sesame, poppy or caraway seeds (optional)
Coarse salt

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 375°F.
Whisk the egg, yolk and water together in a small bowl until broken up, then push the glaze through a sieve. Brush the tops and the sides of the challahs with glaze; let the glaze set for 5 minutes, and brush again. Reserve the leftover glaze for brushing the loaves during baking. If you are topping the loaves, do it now. Sprinkle coarse salt over the loaves, topped or not.

BAKING THE BREAD Bake for 20 minutes. The loaves will expand and expose some of the inner dough. Brush the newly exposed dough with the reserved glaze and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until golden and the loaves sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. If they start to brown too quickly, cover them with a piece of foil, shiny side up. Let cool before slicing.

STORING The bread should be stored in a plastic bag; it will keep for 2 days, and after that, it will make excellent French toast. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped at room temperature.