Challah

Currently baking out of Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook by Leslie Mackie

Challah (a traditional Jewish bread, usually braided) was one of the first breads I learned to make in baking school. We liked making it, because it could be mixed, left to rise and then baked in the five hours we were in class. Some of the other breads took days before they were done.

Me, impatient? Nah . . .

Mackie’s challah recipe is pretty straightforward. Challah is an enriched bread, meaning the dough contains some fat and sugar. Besides the usual flour, yeast and water, this recipe calls for eggs, honey and some vegetable oil. The dough is kneaded, then left to rise. After the first rise, the dough is divided into three parts. Each portion of dough is rolled into a rope and all three ropes are then braided. Before being baked, the dough is brushed an egg wash and sprinkled with poppy seeds.

The dough was easy enough to mix and knead (thank you, Kitchen Aid mixer). The only problem I had was that it was incredibly sticky and soft. I even added another 1/4 cup of flour to the recipe. Mackie states that the dough will be wet, so I wasn’t too concerned. After the first rise, the dough was easier to handle, but it was still very, very sticky. I had to use a lot of flour in order to roll and braid the dough.

The bread baked up very nicely. It had a dense crumb with a firm bite to it. It was soft and fairly neutral flavored – perfect as toast or spread with butter and jam.