B H G Challah Bread Recipes

BISTRO CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Place the yeast, sugar and warm water in a mixing bowl. Stir and let stand for about 10 minutes, until creamy and foamy. Add the melted butter and eggs and mix well.Combine the flour with the salt. Add it to the yeast mixture, 1 or 2 cups at a time, until it forms a soft dough. Place the dough on a well-floured board and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large, well-greased bowl, then flip the dough over to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let stand in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Punch the dough down, form it into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool before slicing.

CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Grease large bowl and large cookie sheet with shortening; set aside. In another large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast until well mixed. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1 cup water and butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and mixture is very warm (120°F to 130°F).
• Add warm liquid and 4 whole eggs to flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. With spoon, stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead in 1/2 to 1 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl; turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place about 35 to 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
• Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. Divide dough in half; roll into two 14x6-inch rectangles. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into three 14x2-inch strips. Braid strips together; tuck ends under to seal. Place crosswise on greased cookie sheet. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 15 to 25 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Bake 10 minutes. In small bowl, mix 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water until well mixed. Brush over top of loaves; sprinkle with poppy seed. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling racks. Cool completely.

CHALLAH

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, a pinch of the sugar and a couple tablespoons of lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast, then leave for 10 mins until foamy.
• Meanwhile, combine the flour, the remaining sugar and 3 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add half the beaten egg, the yeast mixture and the oil. Pour in 200ml lukewarm water (it should feel slightly warm to the touch) and stir with a spoon, then mix using one hand, keeping the other clean while you bring the dough together. If there are a lot of very dry bits, gradually add a little water to just bring it together - you don't want it to get too wet and sticky. The dough should be moist, but not soggy.
• Once the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead using both hands for 10 mins until smooth and a bit springy. If it gets very sticky, add a very small amount of flour - as little as possible. A dough scraper is useful if the dough is sticking to the work surface. Stretch the sides of the dough down and pull together to form a ball. Lightly oil a bowl, then lightly roll the dough ball around the bowl so it's coated in the oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hr, or until dough has doubled in size.
• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into three equal pieces, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape about 25cm long, tapering them slightly at both ends. Lay the pieces out in front of you, parallel to one another with a couple centimetres between each. Bring the sausages together at the top end, then plait them down the length, tucking in the ends when you reach the bottom. Carefully transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet and loosely cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise until puffy and billowy, about 40 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Gently brush the rest of the beaten egg all over the challah, getting it into all the crevices, and sprinkle with the poppy or sesame seeds, if using. Bake on a middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 mins, until the loaf is golden brown underneath and sounds hollow when tapped. Check after about 15 mins - if the top of the loaf has started to get too dark, cover it with foil. Leave to cool on a wire rack, then serve.

EASY CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the water, and let the mixture stand until a creamy layer forms on top, about 10 minutes. Stir in honey and salt until dissolved, and add the beaten eggs. Mix in the flour, a cupful at a time, until the dough is sticky. Sprinkle the dough with flour, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Form the dough into a compact round shape, and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over several times in the bowl to oil the surface of the dough, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough, and cut it into 3 equal-sized pieces. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces 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.
• Place the braided loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush the top with beaten egg yolk. (For a softer crust, brush with melted butter instead.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake the challah in the preheated oven until the top browns to a rich golden color and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it with a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

B H & G CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Soften yeast in warm water.
• Heat milk, butter, sugar, salt and saffron until sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm (110*). Add 2 cups flour and eggs and beat well.
• In your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or by hand) - combine the yeast and milk mixture and knead for 8 - 10 minutes, adding enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. If you are using a Kitchen Aid stand mixture you will need less flour. At any rate, do not exceed 5 cups of flour in your mixer. Shape dough into a ball.
• Butter a large bowl and put dough in it, turning once to coat with butter. Cover with a damp tea towel (not terry cloth) and put into a draft free warm place such as your oven with a proofing feature and 2 cups boiling water set under the bowl. If you have a pilot light in your oven that will be warm enough. If you have no pilot just turn the oven on as low as it will go and turn it off and add the pan of boiling water. 100* is perfect proofing oven.
• Let rise for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled. Turn out onto a floured board and punch down, letting it rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 3 even pieces and roll each piece into a rope 18" long. Place on a parchment lined (or well greased) baking sheet. Braid the strands and secure the ends, turning them under the loaf so they don't unravel. Cover with the damp tea towel and let rise another 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375*.
• Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the braid. Sprinkle with seeds if you like, and bake for 45 - 50 minutes. If the loaf is getting too dark lay a piece of foil over the top for the last twenty minutes.
• Leftovers make wonderful French Toast and Bread Pudding.