Challah Bread

Today I though I’d share a recipe for Challah bread. I learned how to make it a few years ago from my bread baking class and it turned out to be a huge hit with my family!
I love this recipe because it uses the straight dough method which is basically measuring out all the ingredients, putting in a mixer and letting the mixer do all the work. The fun part is watching the dough rise so its doubled in size then braiding it not to mention the beautiful shiny golden color it bakes into! Let’s get started!
(You will need a kitchen scale in order to weigh most of the ingredients)
Challah Bread

• 8 oz. warm water
• .75 oz. yeast
• 1 lb. 4oz. bread flour
• 4 oz. egg yolks (reserve the egg whites for the egg wash)
• 1.5 oz. sugar
• 2 oz. canola oil
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 tsp. salt

1. Add the yeast to the warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes till it’s nice and bubbly.
2. Next measure out the rest of the ingredients into your mixer bowl and add the yeast mixture. Attached the dough hook to your mixer and set it on the second speed for 10 minutes. The dough will come together into a ball, take it out and kneed it a few times by hand.
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel and let it sit in a sunny window for 1.5 hours,  till it’s doubled in size.
4. Take it out and gently pressed it down and divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll out each piece into an 18 inch log. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and braid the three logs. (Make sure you squeeze both ends and tuck them under so they will stay together while baking. )
5. Now make the egg wash by whipping up the reserved eggs white with a touch of water until they are foamy and brush over the loaf.
6. Cover it again loosely with some plastic wrap and set it in the window for 30 minutes for it’s final rise.
7. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until its lightly browned.

Look at how much it doubles in size!

Final rise before baking!

And this is what you get 30 minutes later, isn’t the color beautiful and shiny?!

Here’s a nice close up, I wish you could smell it! There is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread. The poor dogs have been hovering by my feet all morning hoping to sneak a piece!
Anyone can make this, it really is simply you just have to take into consideration the time it takes for the bread to rise.
I can’t wait to show you what I am going to turn this into for a great brunch idea!