Holla at your Challah

One of my mother's favorite meals is challah. After a long day of work, she sometimes stops by Zarro's counter in Grand Central on her way home and picks one up for the Metro North commute. Once situated on the train, she rips off pieces of the soft, shiny loaf and chews them contentedly while reading a favorite novel (I watched my mom read a lot of Anthony Trollop, Susan Howatch, and Jane Austen on the train as a kid). My mother has done this for as long as I have known her. I was always excited for challah-for-dinner nights when I lived at home because I got the leftovers.



I know what you Jews out there are thinking. "Eating challah when it isn't Shabbat? A Shonda! Yes, challah is a bread for religious occasions. But for me, a heathen raised in Jewish culture, it is one of the best comfort breads out there. I am all for spreading the love of challah far and wide to the goyim. If you've never eaten this fluffy, heavenly bread before, please give this recipe a shot. It's fairly easy as bread recipes go, and it will make your home smell amazing.



This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "best challah" recipe (http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/best-challah-egg-bread/). She's an amazing food writer, but I like to make my recipes my own, especially when making bread-- the process varies in different environments.



Classic Challah

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus extra for coating the dough
- 1/4 cup honey plus about a tablespoon to feed the yeast
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4-5 cups all purpose, unbleached white flour, plus more for kneading

1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, lukewarm water, and a couple of squirts of honey. Wait a few minutes until the yeast starts foaming/bubbling a bit. You want to make sure that your yeast is alive, well, and gas-producing.

2. Add the oil, honey, eggs, and salt to the bowl with the bubbling yeast. I recommend adding the oil first and then adding the honey with the same measuring cup-- the oil prevents the honey from sticking. Whisk this mixture well.

3. Gradually add the flour and combine well. The mixture will eventually be too difficult to stir with a spoon, so use your hands to bring the dough together. Alternatively, you can use a Kitchenaid Mixer with a dough hook attachment, but I really like getting down and dirty with my dough. The dough is ready once it comes together and isn't very sticky (though it shouldn't be dry).

4. Knead your dough on a well-floured, clean surface. This is the best part of the process! Take your day's frustrations out on your bread-- it's totally cathartic. Once the dough is a smooth springy ball (I like calling the dough at this phase the "bread baby." I don't know why, so don't ask.), place it in a large, clean bowl. Use a little olive oil to coat the bread baby so it doesn't dry out while it rises. Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth and let the bread baby rise for about an hour, or until it almost doubles in size.

5. Once the bread baby doubles, punch it down to release the gases the yeast is producing. Cover the bowl again and let it rise for another 30-45 minutes.

6. If you decide you want a sweeter challah, knead in some raisins or currants (about a 1/2 cup). Divide the dough into 3 equal balls and roll them out into cylinders of relatively equal diameters. Put the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. On one end, pinch the cylinders together and braid them just like you would braid hair. At the end of the braid, pinch the dough together and smooth it out. Coat the loaf with eggwash. Let the bread "proof" (rise again) for about 30 minutes to an hour. At some point during the proof, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Once the bread has risen considerably, coat it with a second coat of eggwash. If you decide you want poppy or sesame seed challah, sprinkle some of your preferred seed on the top of the loaf. Stick it in the center of the hot oven for 30-40 minutes. When the bread is done, it should give a hollow sound when tapped gently on its underside.

8. Let the bread cool before slicing and serve with butter. When it gets a little stale, make Challah french toast (the best way to make delicious french toast!).

I know this bread is meant to be served on Shabbat and the high holidays, but it's delicious for breakfast, tea, and midnight snacking. And, if Zarro's bakes it daily, why shouldn't you bake challah whenever you want?

Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe!

Peace, love, and challah,

Morgan



P.S.: So this challah exploded a little in the oven. No matter, it will still be delicious. However, for those of you out there concerned with aesthetics, make sure you proof your loaf for long enough. I just got antsy!