I couldn’t wait to get baking this month’s bread: Honey Challah. The conversation of challah came up when we first launched Breaking Bread Society in May.
Whether you bake along with us every month or just once, we want to inspire you to love baking your own bread one loaf at a time. We encourage you to make the recipe your own. Be creative with your challah and put your own spin on it. Twelve breads. It’s just a different bread a month.
This honey challah recipe was not difficult to make and it was fun experimenting with the braiding. The kids got involved in attempting the 6 strand braid. We watched a few videos and braided and laughed. We laughed because it we weren’t successful with the 6 strand braid. We couldn’t give up and ended up turning the 6 strand braid into a round challah. I was worried I thought it would not be the prettiest. In the end, it was the most beautiful bread of all we baked together. The crumb was soft and buttery. I couldn’t wait to eat it for breakfast the next day. The raisin challah loaf made excellent French toast the next day.
Honey Challah
recipe courtesy of Food Wanderings
1 Kg(2.2lbs or about 7 cups) unbleached flour
25 Grams (3 ½ packets) of active dry yeast (each packet is 1/4oz)
½ cup sugar in the raw
1 Tablespoon salt
¼ cup honey
3 eggs
2 cups warm water (no more than 110°F [43°C])
½ cup canola oil
Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 teaspoon sugar
Directions:
In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm water and yeast. Mix until blended. Add the sugar and mix about a minute. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time until they are combined. Add another 2 cups of the flour, the honey, oil, and salt. Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add the rest of the flour (the remaining 4 cups) and mix until combined. Stop the machine as you add each cup of the flour to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour. Mix on low speed for 12 minutes until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don’t want to burn it out. Add flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.
Take dough out of mixer bowl, form into a ball and coat with a light film of canola oil.
Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 1/2 hours).
Take dough out and cut into six equal parts, three parts for each challah. I didn’t flour surface but if you find it necessary, flour just slightly. You are now working with only three parts, the other three put back into mixer bowl and make sure they are covered with plastic wrap. For the first challah without the raisins, punch the air out of each of the three parts of the dough and roll out into a 20 or so inches long cylinder each.
Pinch three cylinders at one edge and braid challah. Pinch the other side once you are done braiding and tuck pinched sides underneath challah at each edge. Roll braided challah gently like a snail into a round challah shape. Tuck the outside edge under the round challah gently.
Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let double, in a cool place, about an hour or less.
The 3 strand braid ready to be brushed with egg wash.
Pre-heat an over to 350F. Beat the egg with the sugar (and also a teaspoon of water) and brush risen challah with the egg wash. Brush even on the inside of the braid and all along the sides.
Luca made sure the round challah had a great egg wash. He brushed and brushed. He gave it about 6 coatings I think.
For the sesame challah, sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. In my oven it took about 33 minutes. Ovens may vary so check your challah at about 30 minutes and see how it’s doing. You test if it’s done by tapping the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it needs a bit more time.* Be careful to not burn your fingers like I did when you do that test.
For Raisin Challah:
Punch air out and roll into three cylinders the remaining dough then flatten rolled cylinders, sprinkle golden raisins along the surface and roll again into cylinders. From this point on continue following directions as written for regular honey challah.
Happy bread baking! Thanks for joining us this month with your challahs.:)
Jayasri Ravi says
July 2, 2012 at 10:21 amI have already made a challah for daring bakers challenge it is still in my draft!!, can I link that to your BBS, and try and make this recipe you have posted once again by the end of this month is it alright.
Savoring Italy says
July 2, 2012 at 2:05 pmthat sounds wonderful;)
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes says
July 2, 2012 at 12:39 pmIt´s so great to bake challah, such a versatile bread! Beautiful breaided bread you all baked!
Savoring Italy says
July 2, 2012 at 2:05 pmthanks, Paula. Can't wait to see your version;)
A Thought For Food says
July 2, 2012 at 12:57 pmPoor Shulie! I can't believe she still doesn't have power. And it's so hot!
Now, as for this challah… it looks perfect. I grew up with having it every Friday on Shabbat (sometimes baked fresh by my mom), dunked in matzo ball soup.
Savoring Italy says
July 2, 2012 at 2:07 pmI know. It is awful being without power. Hope she gets it back soon! Oh, what lovely memories.bet it is delcicious dipped in matzo ball soup;)
Ellen B Cookery says
July 2, 2012 at 1:46 pmThis looks great! Never mad challah, which looks like our Greek braided bread called Tsoureki.
Savoring Italy says
July 2, 2012 at 2:08 pmthank you!I would love to see your version, Ellen;)
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
July 2, 2012 at 3:53 pmI must make this, so beautiful!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
July 2, 2012 at 5:02 pmLooks delicious! I love me some challah, and this honey version is definitely calling my name. 🙂
Nurşen Aksoy says
July 2, 2012 at 5:53 pmHello..It looks great and delicious…Inever make challah..I will try your recipe..I am following your blog now…. I have blog too..we can meet..see you..Nurşen..nurlumutfakta.blogspot.com..
Winnie says
July 2, 2012 at 6:47 pmWell – baking challahs (on plural) is actually mu specialty :):)
I bake challahs every Fri, use different recipes which I create by myself. Just on my blog I have. at the moment, almost 40 posts of challahs (each made from a different recipes). So it's kind of hard to choose which to link here 🙂
Jen @ Savory Simple says
July 2, 2012 at 8:32 pmChallah is one of my favorite breads! They look beautiful.
Reem | SImply Reem says
July 3, 2012 at 3:43 amWhat a beauty!!
Challah is such a gorgeous bread and you did an awesome job!!
I love how beautifully u braided…
Mari says
July 3, 2012 at 4:35 amI love this bread. Your challah always come out perfect and look so appetizing.
Have a marvelous week.
Shulie says
July 4, 2012 at 3:27 pmHello friend, am not off the grid anymore. Am back after five days of no power and water. Am planning to post as soon as we recuperate in the next day or so. Thank you for holding the fort all the way from Italy. Happy 4th of July to you and your family! Shulie
Lisa says
July 4, 2012 at 3:59 pmWhat beautiful challahs, Lora! I love the look of the 6-braid that you turned into a ball of ropes – it looks like it was braided for that on purpose! I would take part, but I just did a honey challah for Daring Bakers (the chocolate pistachio one). It was in May, I think. In any event, you and the kids did a fabulous job! xo
Jamie says
July 4, 2012 at 4:09 pmHow beautiful!! I love challah, making it and eating it. I used to make one every Friday for the Shabbat but haven't for so long. This is perfect!
Paula says
July 4, 2012 at 5:35 pmLove challah and it makes the best French toast! Your loaf is a beauty :). Hope you enjoy a wonderful Independence Day while in Italy 🙂
Lizzy says
July 4, 2012 at 8:40 pmChallah is one of my favorite breads…hope I can get one baked this month 🙂 I'd love to try a 6 strand braid, too! Hope you're having a fantastic holiday!!!
Sue says
July 5, 2012 at 1:04 amChallah is a FAVORITE of mine, and yours looks absolutely beautiful! Oh, what I would give for a slice right this minute:)
Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef says
July 15, 2012 at 2:31 amWhat gorgeous bread! I have no idea how I missed this one. It's been years since I've made one of these and I doubt it looked this good. I'll try it again.
kitchen flavours says
July 22, 2012 at 3:07 amHi, Your Challah looks wonderful, I like the different shapes that you've made! I've just linked mine.
Thank you for hosting! Have a great week!
Karen says
July 22, 2012 at 10:36 pmThank you for hosting. I love the photo of your child painting on the egg wash. Lovely.