No Knead Challah Dough Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• Put all ingredients in a large bowl in the order given. The yeast and water should be the last items added. Be sure that you pour the hot water over the yeast. Mix dough with your hands until all flour is mixed in (3-5 minutes).
• Dough will feel very sticky. DO NOT add more flour! Refrigerate covered with a tea towel overnight (or for several hours). Make bracha, take challah.
• Add enough flour to make it workable. Braid, brush with egg, add poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 350 25-30 or until golden brown and crusty.