Challah By Fred Loeb Recipes

Steps:

• Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and use a dough hook. When all incorporated, ix for an additonal five minutes. Remove from the mixer. Cover dough with a towel or piece of plastic and let rest for about 40 minutes.
• Fold dough iover and punch down. Let rest for 10 minutes. Make up loaves of challah or roll.
• For challah: Take approx one lb of the dough. Divide into six equal pieces. Mold into strips six to eight inches long. Take all six pieces and braid. After completion, brush with egg wash and if desired, sprinkle with popp or sesame seeds.
• For rolls: Cut dough into about 1 to 2 oz pieces. Roll into straight strips about inches long and tie into knot or double knot. Brush with egg wash.
• Bread should rise for another 30 to 40 minutes. Place on a baking sheet covered with corn meal and bake. For 1 lb challah, bake at about 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water with a big pinch of sugar.
• Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the dissolved yeast and stir with a spoon. Add the remaining sugar, salt, eggs, and vegetable shortening. Beat about 1 minute and then mix by hand. When the dough begins to leave the side of the bowl, turn it onto a lightly floured surface to knead and Knead for about 15 minutes until soft, adding more water or flour as necessary.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough over so that the entire surface is lightly greased. Cover with a cloth. Let rise in a warm place for an hour or more , until the dough is doubled . Punch down. Divide into 2 balls.
• Preheat Oven to 375°F.
• Divide each ball into three pieces. Roll each piece into a (appox 12") strand and braid, then tuck in ends. ( he gives a six strand braiding method that is really confusing so I use the 3 strand method).
• Place braid onto either cornmeal sprinkled or parchment paper lined ( I use parchment paper) sheet. Use 3rd egg ( beaten with a bit of water) and brush ( using a pastry brush) the Challah. If using sesame or poppy seeds, sprinkle over at this time. Cover with a plastic sheet ( spray with Pam first) and let rise 30 minutes.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Steps:

• Crush the saffron in a mortar and pestle or in a bowl with the back of a spoon. Add 3/4 c boiling water, stir, and let cool to room temperature. Add 1/2 c ice water.
• Combine saffron and water with remaining dough ingredients in work bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook in place. Stir on low until well combined, about 3 minutes; dough will be very stiff. Increase speed to medium and knead until gluten is well-developed, about 5 minutes, depending on your mixer.
• Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature for one hour, then punch down. Allow to rise for a second hour.
• Lightly flour the counter and turn out the dough. Divide dough into three equal pieces; cover the unworked pieces with a damp towel.
• For a Sabbath loaf, divide the working piece in three or six, and braid. For a High Holidays loaf, roll the dough into a long taper (36"), then coil. Alternatively, form into two tapered strands (24" each), twist together, then coil to form a rosette. See the link referenced in the head note for pictures. Form the remaining loaves.
• Place loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Beat the remaining 1 egg with 1 tsp water. Brush this onto the loaves. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature 1.5-2 hours, until the dough springs back slowly when poked.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 380°F When fully proofed, brush loaves with a second coating of egg wash and place in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until crust is dark, shiny brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast and 3/4 cup of the flour, then whisk in the warm water until smooth. Let sit uncovered for 20 minutes, or until it begins to ferment and puff up slightly.
• Whisk 2 eggs, oil, salt, sugar and cardamom into the puffed yeast slurry until the eggs are well incorporated and the salt and sugar are dissolved.
• Stir in the remaining flour all at once. When the mixture is a shaggy ball, scrape it out onto your work surface and knead it until smooth and soft, no more than 10 minutes. Knead in the raisins just until they are equally distributed.
• Place the dough in the bowl and cover, set aside to rise until doubled in bulk, up to 2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into two 1-pound portions for loaves, or 16 rolls.
• Braid or shape as desired, position on the prepared sheets and cover again to rise until tripled in size, up to 1 1/2 hours.
• Thirty minutes before baking, put oven racks in upper and lower third positions and preheat to 350°F.
• Beat remaining egg with a pinch of salt for glazing the bread.
• When the loaves have tripled in size and stay indented when gently pressed with a fingertip, brush with the egg glaze. If desired, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
• Bake rolls for 15-20 minutes, loaves for 25-35 minutes, until well-browned. You may tent them with foil if they are browning too quickly.
• Remove from oven to cool on racks.
• Freezes well.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.