Classic Challah Bread

I have always loved the idea of home-made bread. My Mom made our sandwich bread for much of my childhood, and while sometimes I got tired of it (spoiled little thing that I was!) I still loved that she made it. When I ventured out on my own home-making journey, I was seriously intimidated by breads. Anything that involved yeast, rising, and kneading was scary to me. I mastered biscuits, quick breads and muffins pretty quickly, but still steered clear of yeasty things. Until blogging :)

Starting with that no-knead Dutch Oven bread, inching forward to finally get my Mom's Breadsticks right... then taking a chance on a new sweet roll recipe... I have slowly built up my yeasty confidence. And now, I am sharing the breads of my labors with you! And I can tell you this from my experiences: it's really not as hard as it sounds. Really! All of the recipes I've named were first tries for me. Not things I have mastered over years. First tries! And they turned out darn well, huh??

So you can do it!! Find that recipe you've always wanted to try, but been wary of, and give it a shot. I did, and just made the most fabulous bread of my life. Only took me two (and a half...) tries to nail it :) I'd love to hear what you try!! Maybe this one??

Classic Challah Bread (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Printable Recipe

3/4-1 cup lukewarm water
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
4 cups unbleached all-pupose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water

*For a spiralled challah, roll the dough into a 36" rope, and coil it into a lightly greased 9" cake pan. Allow it to rise till puffy, then bake as directed in the original recipe.

Combine all of the dough ingredients (starting with 3/4 cup of water) and mix, adding more water as needed till it comes together in a soft dough. (I added about another 1/8 cup) Knead (by hand, bread machine, or mixer) till the dough is soft and smooth. (5-8 minutes, depending on kneading method)

Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled.

Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. (Not floured!! I tried floured first, silly me. You can't roll the dough out, for some reason, it just slides back and forth. I ended up spraying my counter with cooking spray)

Divide into thirds and roll into about 1 1/2 inch diameter snakes. Pinch ends together and braid. Pinch the other ends together and tuck both ends under.

Gently pick up the loaf, and place it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover the loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and let it rise till it's very puffy, 1-1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water, and brush this glaze over the loaf. (Gently!!!)

Place the baking sheet atop another baking sheet; this will insulate the bread's bottom crust, and keep it from browning too much. Put the bread in the lower section of the oven, and bake it for 20-25 minutes.

*The extra pan is crucial!! See? I have proof!*

With pan...                         Without pan!

Remove the bread from the oven, and place it on a rack to cool.

And, voila!! Let's just stop and admire for a few minutes.... Someone I know called me a wuss for only doing three strands...*cough mom cough* so maybe next time I'll try four! If you are fancy, I've heard of doing up to eight strands! Eek!

What a perfectly golden-brown crust. No wonder this seems to be a "special occasion" type of bread! It has just a touch of crunch...

But the best part is the inside. The softest, fluffiest bread I've ever made (I know I said that before, but they just keep getting softer and fluffier!)

A hint of honey in this eggy, buttery bread makes it lightly sweet, perfect for snacking on plain...

But I think I just might have to make French Toast with it!! Maybe even Eggnog French Toast!!

So! What previously feared projects will you be venturing out on??

Shared at Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits and Foodie Fridays