One of the bad things about living in a small condo is that there’s a small kitchen. I don’t have room for many luxury kitchen items, including a bread machine. One of my favorite breakfasts of all time is freshly baked bread and butter. My parents would set up their bread machine so that we would wake up to freshly baked bread in the morning. There’s nothing better than that….
Not to be daunted, a few months ago I tried making challah bread out of devotion to Einstein Bagels Challah rolls. (Click here for more info on Challah.)
Using a recipe from my all time favorite recipe site, Allrecipes.com, my first attempt at homemade (non bread machine) bread was a noble effort that I would in retrospect grade a B-. The problem was that I had never baked bread before, and had no idea about the unstated assumptions in the recipe. Since making that first batch, I made the bread again using newly acquired secrets of bread making. And let me tell you – it’s PERFECTION.
Thus, one more thing off my list: #3. Bake bread from scratch at least twice more. (1 of 2)
Using a recipe from my all time favorite recipe site, Allrecipes.com, my first attempt at homemade (non bread machine) bread was a noble effort that I would in retrospect grade a B-. The problem was that I had never baked bread before, and had no idea about the unstated assumptions in the recipe. Since making that first batch, I made the bread again using newly acquired secrets of bread making. And let me tell you – it’s PERFECTION.
Thus, one more thing off my list: #3. Bake bread from scratch at least twice more. (1 of 2)
Readers, meet Challah Bread. Challah Bread, meet the readers.
For you aspiring bread bakers out there, here’s the recipe for the best bread ever... rewritten, for the new bread makers out there...
Based on “Challah I” (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Challah-I/Detail.aspx)
- 2 1/2 cups warm water (105 degrees F and not hotter than 110) (This is warm, but not hot tap water. I would recommend using a thermometer)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (Don't use rapid rise yeast packets.)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs (divided), 3 Egg Yolks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 cups BREAD flour (Bread Flour is lighter and contains more gluten, which is better for bread baking. I highly suggest King Arthur brand bread flour.)
Directions
1) In your electric mixer's mixing bowl, dissolve the 1 tsp of sugar in the warm (not hot) water. To help regulate the temperature of this mixture, put the entire mixing bowl in a larger bowl or pot of equally warm water. (Why we're doing this: warmth and sugar "feed" yeast, which is key to helping dough rise. Yeast is a living organism that can be killed. This is why the temperature of the water should not exceed 110 degrees - it will kill the yeast.)
2) Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water/sugar mixture. (No need to stir in.) Let this mixture sit for ten minutes. After the ten minutes, the mixture should appear to be kind of filmy/foamy on top.
3) While the yeast is sitting for ten minutes, combine honey, vegetable oil, one egg, three egg yolks, and salt into a separate bowl. In another large bowl, carefully pre-measure 8 cups of flour. (Make sure to measure the flour properly, leveling the measuring cup exactly.)
4) After the yeast has rested for ten minutes, place the electric mixing bowl back on the mixer, and using the bread hook attachment, mix the liquid ingredients (honey, oil, egg/yolks, salt) with the yeast water. (I suggest using the bread hook from the beginning, and mix a little longer than you would if you were using the whisk or paddle attachments to ensure proper blending.)
5) Add the flour, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Somewhere around the sixth cup, you will note that the dough forms a ball around your mixer's bread hook, similar to this (just not as clean or well formed):
2) Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water/sugar mixture. (No need to stir in.) Let this mixture sit for ten minutes. After the ten minutes, the mixture should appear to be kind of filmy/foamy on top.
3) While the yeast is sitting for ten minutes, combine honey, vegetable oil, one egg, three egg yolks, and salt into a separate bowl. In another large bowl, carefully pre-measure 8 cups of flour. (Make sure to measure the flour properly, leveling the measuring cup exactly.)
4) After the yeast has rested for ten minutes, place the electric mixing bowl back on the mixer, and using the bread hook attachment, mix the liquid ingredients (honey, oil, egg/yolks, salt) with the yeast water. (I suggest using the bread hook from the beginning, and mix a little longer than you would if you were using the whisk or paddle attachments to ensure proper blending.)
5) Add the flour, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Somewhere around the sixth cup, you will note that the dough forms a ball around your mixer's bread hook, similar to this (just not as clean or well formed):
(Source: http://www.culinarysavant.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/crustybread07.jpg, though I doubt he blended that dough in that bowl.
I mean, look at it. The bowl is spotless!)
I mean, look at it. The bowl is spotless!)
6) When this dough ball is formed, you will need to knead the rest of the flour in by hand. Sprinkly some of the remaining flour onto a smooth, clean surface. Place the dough on the floured surface, sprinkle more of the remaining flour on the dough, and knead. If you are new to kneading, I would highly suggest watching this youtube video on kneading. Do not listen to the last part about the test for doneness. Plan on kneading for at least five minutes. The dough will initially be very sticky. You should notice a great improvement (i.e. less stickiness) by the time you are done kneading.
7) Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk. You want the dough rise (or "proof" in bread language) in a relatively warm place. I put mine in a stainless steel bowl, which was sitting in a bigger pot of warm (not hot) water, similar to the process in Step 1.
8) Just before your 1 1/2 hours is up, grease two baking sheets. (I only used one sheet.)
9) Divide the dough into two halves. Put one half on a floured surface and set the other half aside, covered with the damp cloth. Knead for five minutes, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness. (You shouldn't be adding a lot at this point.) Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. (This will require patience because of the elasticity of the dough. Roll from the middle outward to the ends to add length.) Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle.
10) Repeat Step 8 with the other half of the dough.
11) Place both finished braids onto the prepared baking sheets (or both on one). Cover with a damp towel and let rise 30 minutes, again in a warm place.(I rested the baking sheet over two bowls of warm water. If your sheet is big enough, consider placing over a kitchen sink of warm water.)
12) After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375, making sure the two racks are neither too close to the top nor too close to the bottom. (This is the advantage to just using one pan - I had the rack exactly in the middle of the oven.) Continue letting the bread rest, covered, for 30 more minutes.
13) Beat an egg and a squirt of honey together, and brush generously over each loaf of bread.
14) Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, covering with foil after the first twenty minutes to prevent burning.
15) Remove from oven and place straight onto cooling racks. The recipe says to wait an hour before serving... but really, who can wait that long?
In the words of the late Julia Child, "Bon Appétit!!"
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