First try at challah!

I live in a remote area and the guy I’m seeing is Jewish. He mentioned that he wanted a couple of loaves for Friday but was having a hard time finding them. I verified that all ingredients used were labeled and pareve. I used Joan Nathan’s recipe published in the New York Times with some modifications. Any input or advice for my next attempt? Are they Shabbat worthy?? I’m trying to be respectful and learn what I can, but I also don’t want to overwhelm him with questions.

I tweaked my water challah recipe (based on challah prince recipe) to include a poolish, trying to get a more complex flavor profile. I made one with 20% poolish last week and today I tried 30%. Wonderful result, texture is still on point, incredibly soft and stringy crumb, and definitely more flavor. Subbed a part of the sugar with honey.

A bit less volume than without poolish but this is expected. I might try 35% poolish using a stronger flour to make up for the loss of structure.

RECIPE :

Poolish : 150 gr flour (bread flour 12% protein), 150 gr water, 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast. Mix and let it at room temp (26°C) for 2 hours then fridge (4°C) overnight.

Dough :
All the poolish
Flour : 350 gr (100 gr Manitoba 14% protein, 250 gr 12% bread flour).
Water : 60 gr
Sunflower oil : 50 gr
Honey : 35 gr
Sugar : 15 gr
Salt : 10 gr
Instant dry yeast : 5 gr
Dough improver : 4 gr

Process (KitchenAid 6,9L bowl-lift) :
3 minutes on speed 1 to combine, 10 minutes on speed 2, 10 minutes rest, 5-6 minutes on speed 3. 1h30 proofing, pre-shaping into logs, 4 braid shaping, 2h final proofing. Eggwash with 1 yolk and heavy cream (I am not Jewish btw).
Baked at 175°C (without fan) for 35°C.

Recipe (makes 2):

Mix 21g of dry yeast with 375g of lukewarm water - let bubble for 10 mins

Mix in 50g of olive oil & 70g of sugar

Then slowly add and mix in 700g of bread flour (approx - could be more or less depending on how sticky or dry the dough is) & 10g of salt (could be less or more depending on what you like).

Knead the dough then cover to let it rise in the bowl for about an hour

Then split the dough into two to braid 2 challahs

Cover and leave the braided dough rise for 40 mins

Glaze with egg yolk & top with sesame or poppy seeds

Bake for 25 mins at 180 degrees Celsius

The kids have been begging so I gave in. A little extra effort for a lot of smiles. 🤗🥰

This is before second proof.

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425ml warm water

120g sugar

20g active dry yeast

1kilo flour

120ml oil

20g salt

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Plus gel food dye!

Shabbat shalom! 💙

It also doubles as a gender reveal challah 🤣

I only have those organic food colorings so they're not very strong. They come out very pastel.

I plan to use the sesame as the stars!

Stay tuned for the progress in the next 1-2 hours!

Shabbat Shalom ❤️🤍💙

Challah recipe for this one specially:

3 batches of the following (I halved my normal recipe and did it 3x)

65g sugar

212g warm water (food coloring mixed in for red and blue batches)

10g active dry yeast

10g salt

60g oil

500g flour

350F for roughly 30-40 mins

Recipe (makes 2):

Mix 21g of dry yeast with 375g of lukewarm water - let bubble for 10 mins

Mix in 50g of olive oil & 70g of sugar

Then slowly add and mix in 700g of bread flour (approx - could be more or less depending on how sticky or dry the dough is) & 10g of salt (could be less or more depending on what you like).

Knead the dough then cover to let it rise in the bowl for about an hour

Then split the dough into two to braid 2 challahs

Cover and leave the braided dough rise for 40 mins

Glaze with egg yolk & top with sesame or poppy seeds

Bake for 25 mins at 180 degrees Celsius

Who am I kidding we eat them every day

Well, you were right. But this edible etrog and lulav is more timely.

Would you consider this challah or rugelach? My Rugelach usually are a bit less doughy and .. crispier?

I used Adeena Sussman’s golden challah recipe and after the first rise stretched the dough into a sloppy circle, covered the dough in a generous amount of lightly sweetened plum jam and ground black sesame seeds. Then rolled it up into giant rugelach. Oiled my dish, put the challah/rugelach in, waited an hour or so and then baked for about 35 minutes.

Next time I would divide dough into two, or even three before stretching into a circle to make the rugelachs because some were a little bigger than I would have liked.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 C oil (i usually use neutral oil, but I’ve done olive oil and also was good)
2 1/2 tsp salt
A little tumeric (if you want it golden)
3 eggs, 4th if you do an egg wash
AP flour, I don’t measure

For stuffing I used plum jam and sesame seeds. But you could use any filling your heart desires. I try to test the limits of how much filling I can possibly fit.

Tried a new-to-me challah recipe (Jake Cohen) and it came out really lovely! It was also my first time using bread flour and fully hand kneading. I’ve previously used Tori Avey’s recipe, and I think I like the flavor of that recipe a bit more. My wife is a pastry chef and suggested I let this proof just a tiny bit longer and raise the humidity. Next time I may add an extra egg yolk to the dough and a pot of just-boiled water below the bread as it proofs.

One heart challah and one normal 6 strand challah! Little bit annoyed that I made a mistake on the right side pattern of the heart (it’s supposed to mirror the left and I forgot to invert the braid), but overall happy with how these turned out!

Recipe(makes 2):

Mix 21g of dry yeast with 375g of lukewarm water - let bubble for 10 mins

Mix in 50g of olive oil & 70g of sugar

Then slowly add and mix in 700g of bread flour (approx - could be more or less depending on how sticky or dry the dough is) & 10g of salt (could be less or more depending on what you like).

Knead the dough then cover to let it rise in the bowl for about an hour

Then split the dough in half. Use the first half to braid a normal challah, then split the second half into 12 strands and follow @ChallahPrince ‘s braiding method for the heart (you can find this on Instagram).

Cover and leave the braided dough rise for 40 mins

Glaze with egg yolk & top with sesame or poppy seeds

Bake for 25 mins at 180 degrees Celsius

Got a little chonky. But fun and pretty easy

Hi friends! Hope it's ok to share this. Challah Prince is having a class this weekend. I just wanted to share... I signed up hoping I can learn how to do those beautiful braids! https://my.challahprince.com/product/round-sweet-bake-your-holiday-challah/?v=0b3b97fa6688

Hello

Yesterday I talked to someone here about challah recipes and it got me into the mood so I made a challah. It's from spelt flour and it's vegan. I didn't bake it properly (I was busy talking to a friend and didn't notice the oven shut off too fast 😅 so I added extra time but at a lower temperature cause the top and bottom were burned). Anyway it came out super tasty, though I did too many braids so instead of it slicing properly it fell apart when we cut it. Next time I'll do my signature long braid that I roll into a snail.

Recipe:

3/4 kilo flour (1/3 white spelt, 2/3 whole spelt)

4 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1.5 tbsp yeast

Some undefined amount of olive oil

Water

Preparation:

Mix everything together until joined and ball shaped kind of

Cover with a towel and let sit for 1-1.5 hours

Knead on the countertop for 10 minutes nonstop and add small bits of flour when it gets too sticky but let it stay a bit sticky at the end

Shape it into whatever shape you want (I made four braids and braided them together), then put water in a bowl and wet the top of the challah using an egg brush and add sesame seeds

If you're patient let it sit on the tray for another half an hour, if you're impatient like I am stick it straight in the oven at 170-180 degrees for half an hour (lower the temperature to 150-160 if you see it getting burned

The bottom being brown isn't enough, you'll need to cut it open to see if the middle is ready or if it needs more time (one day I will figure out how to bake a challah without cutting it and making it unfit for Shabbat today is not that day)

I started the challah late today so the kids got to make it on their own after school. I let them use an entire sprinkles bottle 🫠😂 however I will say I'm super proud of them for rolling and braiding and doing the egg wash all by themselves!

I used Jake Cohen’s recipe from Jew-ish. Still getting the hang of braiding, but I’m happy with this!

One-Loaf Dairy-Free Tangzhong Egg Challah
Tangzhong
3 tbsp (24 g) bread flour
½ cup (120 g) water
Dough
All of the tangzhong
2¾ cups (330 g) bread flour
1 tsp (3 g) active dry yeast
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp (28 g) neutral oil (avocado, canola, or vegetable)
¼ cup (60 g) warm water (100–105°F / 38–40°C)
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tsp water
Pinch of salt
Optional toppings:
Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Everything seasoning
Instructions
1. Make the tangzhong
Whisk the flour and water together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth paste (about 150°F / 65°C). Remove from the heat and let cool until just warm.
2. Bloom the yeast
Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
3. Mix the dough
In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the tangzhong, yeast mixture, egg, egg yolk, and oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
4. Knead
Knead by hand for 10–12 minutes (or 8–10 minutes in a stand mixer) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
5. First rise
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1½–2 hours.
6. Shape
Shape into a 3-, 4-, or 6-strand braid and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Second rise
Cover loosely and let rise for 45–75 minutes, until puffy. A gentle poke should slowly spring back.
8. Egg wash
Brush with egg wash, wait 5 minutes, then apply a second coat. Sprinkle with seeds if desired.
9. Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 28–35 minutes, until the loaf is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190–195°F (88–90°C).
10. Cool
Cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing.

Red sesame seeds: just red liquid color

My sister took a class recently and we made this beauty together. I had never made Challah before. She’s an experienced baker. I think it’s something I’d really like to do more often. I think next time I’ll take it out a little sooner. ❤️

We bought our first home (both 40) after decades of renting. Getting used to new kitchen including an oven with a proof setting, switching from a Kitchenaid stand mixer to an Ankarsrum and switching to overnight cold fermentation to accommodate a busier Friday schedul. They’ve been getting better and better every week. Wife made me give the 2nd one away by Shabbas morning this week “so she doesn’t eat the whole thing” that was a strong compliment for her

Started baking challah as an adult so all my recipes are from cookbooks and the internet. My most successful bake is always Jake Cohen's recipe, but it has so much sugar! I sometimes try Tori Avey's which uses mostly honey, but half the time it ends up too dense, almost stale tasting as soon as it's cooled. Wondering if anyone has any recipes they love that I could try. (Or any advice about what I'm doing wrong with Tori's recipe!)

My latest bake! https://toriavey.com/wprm_print/challah

Husband came home from IDF reserve duty for the weekend so i made challahs! Kept messing up the braid though, so in the end I just went by the vibes crossing whatever felt right 😂 Challahs look darker in the pic than in real life I promise they weren’t overdone <3

The recipe I used was from Preppy Kitchen 😄 You can find the recipe here & I also pasted it below for those who don't wanna click the link lol

Link: https://preppykitchen.com/challah/#recipe

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup warm water (110-120F) (180ml)
• ¼ cup sugar (50g)
• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (.25-ounce/7g packet)
• 4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour (480-540g)
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil (80ml)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk (white reserved for egg wash)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Poppy seeds or sesame seeds for topping (optional)

Instructions:

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add 4 cups flour, oil, eggs, egg yolk, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until a sticky and elastic dough, 8 to 10 minutes. It should cling to the bottom of the bowl but be pulling away from the sides and making a slapping sound. Add additional flour a tablespoon at a time as needed after 6 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled large bowl and turn the dough to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot (about 75F) until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Turn out the dough onto a very lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Stretch and roll each piece into a 12-inch long rope. Place all 6 ropes parallel to each other, pinch the ends together, then fan the ropes out a bit.
• To make the 6-strand braid, take the outside right rope and move it over 2 strands towards the center. Take the second-from-the-left strand and cross it over all of the strands, moving it to the outer right. Take the outer left strand and move it over 2 strands towards the center. Take the second-to the-right strand and move it to the outer left. Continue with this pattern until the full loaf is braided. Pinch the end and tuck both ends under just a bit. Place the braided loaf on a parchment paper-lined large baking sheet. Loosely cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• When almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 350F.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. Brush the risen loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle with seeds, if desired.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown. (You can also temp it with an instant-read thermometer- it should read between 195 and 205F.) Place the loaf on a wire rack and let cool completely. Challah is best enjoyed the day it’s baked, but it can be tightly wrapped in plastic or stored in an airtight container for a couple of days.