Sweet Challah Bread
Yield 1 loaf
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Description
Sweet, rich, and glorious Challah that is perfect for any holiday celebration.Kosher, Dairy
Equipment
- Food scale *Highly recommended*
- Mixer with a dough hook *Highly recommended*
- Instant read food thermometer optional
- Rolling pin optional
Ingredients
The dough:
- 3 1/2 cups (500 grams) sifted, all-purpose flour I strongly recommend sifting the flour; it will result in a more delicate dough with a more significant volume.
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) active dry yeast
- 1/2 stick (55 grams) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- ¾ to 1 cup (180-240 ml) lukewarm water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- oil for greasing the dough
- 1⁄2 cup (75g) raisins or dried cranberries optional
For the topping:
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) real maple syrup or honey with 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, (or in a large mixing bowl if kneading by hand) put flour, sugar and yeast and mix on low speed for about a minute.
- Add the melted butter, vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk and mix for another minute.
- Slowly pour in the water and mix to form the dough. If after 2 to 3 minutes, the dough hasn’t come together and there are pieces of dough at the bottom of the mixer, add a few drops of water.
- Increase the speed to medium and add the salt. Let the mixer knead for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Optional: add raisins or cranberries and knead on low speed for one more minute, just until incorporated.
- Transfer the dough from the mixing bowl to a very lightly floured work surface. Finish kneading by hand - stretching, tearing and pushing the dough away from you, folding it back on itself, giving it a quarter turn and repeating. Finally, give it a nice round shape.
- Grease the dough with a little bit of oil, cover it with a kitchen towel, place the bowl somewhere warm and let the dough rise until doubled. It can take 1 to 3 hours at room temperature.
- Separate the dough into equal pieces and roll each piece of dough into a long rope.
- Braid the ropes to your desired shape.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the Challah on it.
- Place the pan somewhere warm, cover it with a towel and let it rise until puffed, about an hour.
- Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. When ready to bake, brush the Challah all over the with the maple syrup.
- Slide the Challah on its baking sheet into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The Challah is done when it is a rich golden brown and registers 190°F/90°C in the very middle with an instant-read thermometer.
- Let the Challah cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Weigh all your ingredients and get everything in order so you can follow the recipe exactly.
- Mixing the dough: Scrap the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
- Water: Because each flour is different, stored differently, and has different absorption capacities, the amount of liquid will almost always change. Even if you always use the same flour, it may be that the flour will absorb more liquid on different days. So, start with half a cup of water and add as needed gradually. The dough should be very soft but not sticky. Dough lacking in liquid will be stiffer and less comfortable to work with.
- The first rise: About an hour and a half or until the dough doubles. But that figure can also change radically, especially if it’s particularly cold weather, which will then require a few hours for the dough to increase in size. In summer, it can be much shorter.
- Shaping: It is essential to braid the loaf slightly loosely so the dough can rise.
Tried this recipe? Tag@mamalivingabroad