Friday, May 18, 2007

[Virtual Challah Lesson] Recipe for Regular Challah


Recipe for Regular Challah



(adapted by Carolyn from "The Spice and Spirit" Cookbook's "Classic Challah")
Yields 2 very large loaves, 3 large loaves, 4 medium-small loaves or 2 dozen rolls


Ingredients:


17 fluid oz. warm (115 degrees F or less) water
2 Tbsp. (or two packets or
one coffee scoop) active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil (=4 fl. oz)
2 ½ lbs. bread flour (higher gluten than all-purpose flour)

Instructions:

Add the yeast to the warm water. Let this sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast is fully dissolved.

Add the remaining ingredients, bread flour added last. Mix into a dough, rest it for 10 minutes, and knead.

Let rise in a loosely covered greased bowl until doubled in bulk.

Take challah.

Shape and set onto greased, corn-meal-covered pans.

Let rise again until not quite doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

(Optional: Brush gently with egg yolk. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.)

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. (18 minutes for rolls.)

Set aside to cool.

Enjoy!


NOTES:

In the picture, you can see my pre-measured bread flour (in the brown paper bag), microwave probe (for heating the water up to, but not above 115 degrees F), a measuring cup with the 17 fluid oz. mark made clearer with the aid of a paint marker, and the glass yeast container I keep in the refrigerator.

Although there is a bread machine in the picture (and two in my kitchen), I don't use it for challah making. Bread machines just aren't big enough to make a useful amount of challah, in my opinion. I use a stand mixer to help with the kneading.

I buy the bread flour from a restaurant supply store (or at Costco) in 50 lb. bags (for $10 !) I take the 50 lb. bag and divide it into 2.5 lb. lunch bags. These lunch bags can fit in the door of my stand-alone freezer for storage.

Storing them in the freezer prevents insect infestation. I've adapted the two challah recipes I make each week (this one and the Yekkish/Water Challah) to use 2.5 lb. of flour. It's very convenient to have the flour pre-measured, and to be able to look in the freezer and know how many more batches' worth of flour are available.

Bread flour has a higher gluten content than all purpose flour. It gives it the bread a more chewy, bread-like texture. If you use bread flour in a cake it will be too tough.


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