Best Challah Ii Recipes

BREAD MACHINE CHALLAH II

Steps:

• Place warm water, sugar, honey, vegetable oil, salt, 2 eggs, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start.
• After the machine is done, take the dough out, and place it on a very lightly floured board, punch the dough down, and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Divide the dough in half. Then divide into 3 equal pieces, roll into ropes about 12 to 14 inches, and braid into a loaf. Do the same with the remaining other half. Gently put the loaves on a greased cookie sheet, mist with water, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a warm, draft free place, until double in size.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water.
• Brush risen loaves with egg mixture. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. If it begins to brown too soon, cover with foil.

MY FAVORITE CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
• If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking. Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
• Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.

BREAD MACHINE CHALLAH FOR SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS

Steps:

• Place the warm water, salt, sugar, margarine, egg, bread flour, and yeast in the pan of a bread machine in that order, set the machine to the dough setting, and start the machine.
• When the dough cycle of the machine is finished, place the dough on a floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, and roll them into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look.
• Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper, and place the braided challah on the prepared sheet. Cover the loaf with a plastic bag to prevent drying out, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of water, and vanilla in a small bowl, and brush the glaze on the challah. Sprinkle with optional toppings (see footnote).
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes.

THE BEST BREAD MACHINE CHALLAH

Steps:

• Place the water, egg yolks, salt oil, flour, sugar and yeast in the bread machine pan, according to the manufacturer's directions.
• Process the ingredients in the dough cycle.
• Remove immediately when the machine beeps.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Divide each piece into three sections.
• Roll each section into a long strand.
• Braid the three strands, pinching the top and bottom ends together.
• Place on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough, making the second challah.
• Let the challot rise, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Brush the challot with the beaten egg.
• Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a combination of both.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack.

CHALLAH II WITH MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE (EGGLESS VERSION)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup water in bowl of mixer.
• Sprinkle yeast over water and mix, let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
• Add remaining ingredients into mixing bowl.
• Mix with dough hook for 6 minutes.
• Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk.
• Punch down dough.
• Let rise until double in bulk.
• Punch down again.
• Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
• Roll dough into 3 long strands.
• Braid the strands, tucking the ends under.
• Cover with towel and let double in bulk.
• Glaze with maple syrup.
• Bake at 400 F for approximately 30 minutes, until golden brown.
• The challah is done when it sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

CHALLAH I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.