Bread Beginnings: Classic Challah Egg Bread

Master Recipe #2: Classic Challah egg bread

Remember you can find this recipe in Bread Made Easy found here.

FUN FACT: Challah is traditional Jewish bread eaten for Sabbath or holiday meals

The recipe recommended not using a stand mixer for this recipe because the final dough is a little bit too large for a normal mixer bowl. If you are lucky enough to have an extra-large mixer then it should work just fine.

Start by proofing the yeast. Combine a little sugar, the yeast, and warm water in a bowl for about 10 minutes until nice and foamy.

Add a little of the flour and the salt to a large mixing bowl, a very large bowl, and then make a well in the middle.

Add the eggs, honey, oil, and remaining water to the bowl and mix vigorously for 1 minute with a whisk.

SIDE NOTE: There was really no need to make the well because all the other ingredients have way more volume than the tiny well.

Then add the yeast and mix vigorously for another minute.

Add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time and mix until incorporated. Beware there is a lot of flour to be added.

The recipe says to use a whisk until it is clogged with dough and then switch to a wooden spoon. I had to give up on the spoon and use my hands after a few scoops of flour because the spoon didn’t mix the thick dough very well.

As the remaining flour was added, it was not incorporating very well. My dough didn’t look at all like the pictures in the book, but I kept mixing and kneading and eventually all the flour was incorporated into the dough.

Moral of the story is: power through this scary time with the giant bowl of flour and keep on kneading because the next part is really fun.

Let the dough rise until double in size, then dump out onto a lightly floured surface.

FUN FACT: According to Bread Made Easy, dough rises better in a narrow, deep container as opposed to a wide shallow one.

The dough should be divided into two equal portions and then divide those two portions into three portions and roll them out.

The dough felt really awkward in my hands because it was so flimsy. Use a combination of palm rolling and rolling on the counter to finally make the logs long enough.