Recipe Submitted by Anonymous ..|.. Category: Breads
This traditional Jewish Sabbath bread is a sort of butterless brioche. It is particularly good at breakfast time.
Combine in a large mixing bowl or the
bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and let stand until the yeast is dissolved,
about 5 minutes:
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm (105 to 115 degrees F) water
Add:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, 2 egg
yolks, lightly beaten, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons
sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Mix by hand or on low speed until thoroughly blended. Gradually stir in:
2 1/2 cups bread flour
Knead for about 8 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium
speed until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your
hands or the bowl. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over
once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm
place (75 to 80F) until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch the
dough down, knead briefly, and refrigerate covered until it has again
nearly doubled in volume (a three-quarter rise is sufficient), 4 to 12
hours. The dough is now ready to be shaped.
Three-Strand Braided Challah
Anyone who has braided hair or rope will have no trouble here. In fact,
you can divide the dough into as many strands as you like and braid
accordingly, but this one is a simple 3-strand braid.
Weigh and divide the dough equally into 3 pieces. On an unfloured work
surface, roll into balls and let rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap,
for 10 minutes. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Roll
each ball into a 13- to 14-inch-long rope, about 1 1/2 inches thick and
slightly tapered at the ends. Dust the 3 dough ropes with rye flour so
they will be more distinctly separated. Place the 3 dough ropes side by
side and pinch the top ends together. Lift the left dough rope and place
it between the right and middle ropes. Lift the right rope and place it
between the left and middle ropes, then the left rope between the right
and middle ropes and so on until you reach the ends. Tuck both ends of the
braid underneath the loaf and set it on the baking sheet. Whisk together
and brush over the top of the loaf:
1 egg
Pinch of salt
1. Loosely cover the braid with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in
a warm place until not quite doubled, about 45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375F. Brush the loaf again with egg wash. If
desired, sprinkle with:
1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds
Bake until the crust is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds
hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
Four-Strand Braided Challah
1. Weigh and divide the dough equally into 4 pieces. On an unfloured work
surface, roll into balls and let rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap,
for 10 minutes. Roll the balls of dough into long ropes about 1 inch thick
and 20 inches long, slightly tapering the ends. Dust the ropes of dough
with rye flour so they will be distinctly separated. Arrange the 4 ropes
side by side and pinch the top ends securely together.
2. Braid the strips of dough in the following sequence, as shown above:
Lift and place the fourth strand over the second, B. Lift and place the
first strand over the third, C, then lift and place the second over the
third, D. Repeat this sequence, placing the strand that is now the fourth
over the second, E, the first over the third, F, then the second over the
third. Continue braiding until you reach the end of the strands. Pinch the
bottom ends together and tuck both top and bottom ends underneath the
braid. Finish as directed for Three-Strand Braided.
Recipe from Homeschoolforms.com, Site Maintained by Donna Young, of DonnaYoung.org