challah

a common recipe

ingredients

• 675g gluten rich wheat flour

• 300ml or 350ml warm water

• 1 tbs wheat gluten (optional)

• 3-4 tbs fine caster sugar

• 1 tbs or 11g sachet easy blend yeast or ½ pack (21g) fresh yeast

• 2 large eggs

• 4 tbs oil

• 1½ tsp salt

• 1+ tbs oil for the proofing container and it's lid, grease all sides and have some oil remaining at the bottom

for the glace

• 1 small egg

• some cold water

• pinch of salt

• poppy or sesame seeds

kneading by hand:

of course, just follow the phases as if you were a machine, but start with at least half the flour and use a wide bowl with room for both hands.
My advise is to add the eggs whisked with some of the water.

kneading by machine:

dissolve the fresh yeast in the water first, or add the dried yeast together with sugar, gluten and about 3-4 grocer's scoops of flour.
TM: use the flat beater; AR use the roller.
Mix vigourously at a fairly high speed, then let it rest until the mixture bubbles (think 10-15 minutes).

Then add the eggs, the oil and the salt, slowly add the remaining flour scoop by scoop, each taken up before adding the next one.
**TM* use the dough hook, regulus 2; add in the center*
**AR* use the roller between zone 2 and 3; add at the bowl's side*.
Now knead on that same speed for
**TM* 8 minutes
AR 12 minutes, after approx. 2 minutes fix the roller 2cm from the side*,
finish with
TM 4 minutes on regulus 4
AR fix the roller to the center of the bowl, 2 minutes with speed top of zone 4)
The dough should not feel sticky anymore, if so, add up to 2 tbs. of flour and give it some more minute.

Now add it to a floured board and knead for a further minute. It should feel fairly tight but spongy, with a silken surface.

Form the dough to a ball, roll the ball through through the oil in the container so it's fully covered, then close the container and immediately put it to refrigerate overnight, try and make the rest 10 hours or more.

Next morning, take out the dough and cut it in twice the strand-type equal portions.

Roll each portion into a ball, let them acquire a nicer temperature for about 5-10 minutes and then flatten the balls out by thoroughly beating them with the palm of your hand; fold the circle together by four sides and knead into a ball once again. Let them rest on a floured board for at least 10 minutes. This truly improves your bread's structure.

Now roll each ball from the middle out into a strand, 30cm long (I use the handle on my rolling board with 33cm as orientation), each slightly tapered at the ends. Try and get them equal lengths.

Make your two plaits, let them rise for approx. 1 hour in a large bag that fits your baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 230°C, static
Beat the small egg with some cold water and a pinch of salt.
Baste the loafs with a soft brush, then sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.

Put the tray in the oven, lowest position, and reduce the temperature to 200°C
Bake for 25-30 minutes and let the loafs cool on a rack.

#bread #breadbaking #homebaking #challah #recipe

oh BTW, that yukky looking misfit on the other post is made from this recipe's 6-strand. That batch lead to the other images too