Shiksa's guide to challah baking
Baking and Braiding Challah for Shabbat.
This is called the shiksa's guide because I first rewrote it before my conversion. I'd never seen a challah before, so I didn't have a clue. This is for other people who have never attempted challah before. It is a great recipe, I promise. I also put together a whole set of photos on Flickr to help people with Challah baking .
Recipe and Official Directions from The How To Handbook for Jewish Living by Kerry M. Olinsky and Ronald H. Isaacs
Ingredients
- 2 packets of granulated yeast
- 2 cups warm/hot water
- ½ cup sugar
- 7 cups of white flour
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- ½ cup golden raisins (optional)
- Poppy seeds (optional)
1. Dissolve 2 packages granulated yeast in 2 cups warm/hot water. Add ½ cup sugar. Set aside. The book says tepid water—tepid water won’t activate yeast. Also make sure that the yeast hasn’t expired and that you have extra on hand in case it doesn’t activate. Maybe even use a thermometer, but I use hot water that isn’t steaming. I also do this in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. It leaves room for the yeast to proof and can handle the heat. Leave it at least 5 minute so you know it is active yeast.
2. Mix together 7 cups of white flour and 2 teaspoons of salt. That's white, not wheat. I'm sure there are some lovely wheat recipes out there, but I learned the hard way about this. Trust me.
3. Add 1/3 cup oil, 2 lightly beaten eggs and the yeast mixture. What I do is take out my 1-cup Pyrex measuring cup. I beat the two eggs in it, dump the eggs into the flour/salt. Then I put the oil into the same measuring cup. I don't like to clean too many things.
3.5 Knead on a floured board until smooth and silky. If you can afford it, I suggest buying the Roll’Pat from Crate and Barrel. It makes the kneading so much cleaner and easier. But don’t forget—you have to flour your hands AND the counter. Set a timer and knead for at least 5 minutes, if not 10. Someone I know said that challah is ready when, "it feels like a woman's breast." Hmmm.... It does firm up after awhile, but is still soft... I'll go with that.
4. Place in a well oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place until double in size. About two hours. Need a warm place? Turn on the oven for a minute and then turn it off. Pop the bowl in the oven covered with a towel for a couple hours.
5. Punch down and allow to rise again, about 1 hour. What the hell? It is pretty obvious after the first time. You let it rise and at this point you put your fist it in, then let it rise for another hour. This is where I will knead in the raisins if it is Rosh Hashanah.
6. Divide dough into two, then each into three and braid into 2 loaves. Something I learned is that as you roll each into a long snake, you should roll it, then let it rest. Move through the six pieces one by one by one. This lets the gluten rest and then you can stretch it more the next round. To braid, divide the dough into three parts. Roll each into a long snake of even thickness. Then pinch together the ends and braid as you do hair. As an alternative, overlap braids in the other and braid toward the end.
8. Brush with egg wash (1 part egg, 1 part water, well whisked) and sprinkle with seeds. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
You can find the blessings and the separation blessings online at
http://headcoverings-by-devorah.com/OrachChayim/Challah.html
This was updated on Erev Rosh Hashanah, 5768.