Abbys Challah Recipes

Steps:

• 1. First, proof your yeast. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water in your mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water.
• 2. Within 5 minutes, it should be bubbly and frothy.
• 3. Whisk the juice, oil or cooled melted butter, honey, eggs and salt into the yeast mixture. Add the raisins here, if desired.
• 4. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing with each addition.
• 5. The dough will get thicker but will still be a little sticky when you're done.
• 6. Turn out onto floured surface
• 7. Knead 6-8 minutes, until elastic and smooth. Add flour to the surface very sparingly - better too sticky than too dry for this dough!
• 8. Put your dough in an oiled bowl, cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.
• 9. Place in a warm place 1-2 hours to rise until doubled in size.
• 10. Punch down, repeat.
• 11. The second rise won't take as long.
• 12. Turn your dough out onto a flat surface.
• 13. With a sharp knife, cut into six equal pieces.
• 14. With your hands, roll each piece into a strand about 14-15 inches long.
• 15. Place 3 strands parallel to each other. With the other 3 strands, form a simple over-under-over lattice.
• 16. You will now have a checkerboard lattice in the center and strands of dough coming out the sides a few inches.
• 17. Braid each 3 strand set coming off the center until you run out of dough.
• 18. Tuck the braid UNDER the lattice center.
• 19. Carefully place in an oiled pie dish and let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• 20. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• 21. Before placing your challah in the oven, you may brush the surface with an egg beaten with a tablespoon of water using a pastry brush. This will give a dark, shiny, stiff crust. I prefer taking a big plop of mayonnaise in my hands and gently rubbing the surface of the dough - not shiny and pretty but yields a very tender crust.
• 22. If desired, sprinkle with a tablespoon of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a coarse salt.
• 23. Bake 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool about 10 minutes, then gently turn out of the pie pan to cool on a rack.

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 what is now 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 in refrigerator if preferred.
• To bake, 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.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Stir in the salt, sugar, oil and 4 eggs until well blended. Gradually mix in the flour. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Place dough underneath the bowl to rise until double. Or, you can place the dough in the bowl, and cover with a towel.
• Punch down the dough, and divide into 6 or 8 even pieces depending on what shape you want. Remember to take a small piece off and make a blessing (Jewish law). Roll the pieces into ropes. Braid into two loaves, or one really big 6 piece braid - but only if your oven is large enough. Or, you can make the spiral shape challahs out of each rope. Tuck the ends under, and place on a baking sheet to rise until your finger leaves a small dent when you gently poke the bread.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Whisk together the remaining egg, water and vanilla sugar. Brush over the tops of the loaves. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bread is deep golden brown. Wrap the small piece of dough that was blessed in aluminum foil, and burn in the oven as an offering while the other loaves are baking.