A Delicious Challah Recipe to Try

This is an excellent recipe for delicious, beautiful, and especially soft challah. Follow the instructions carefully, and remember to spice it up with a prayer.

The recipe yields two kilograms of flour. Adjust it according to the amount of dough you wish to prepare.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons dry yeast

10 tablespoons sugar

2 kg flour

2 tablespoons salt

5-7 cups lukewarm water (the amount of water varies according to the type of flour; see more in the baking tips section).

1 cup oil

Instructions:

1. Place the sugar and dry yeast in a bowl with a bit of lukewarm water, mix well, and wait a few minutes.

2. Add the flour.

3. Add the salt on top of the flour (make sure the salt doesn’t touch the yeast).

4. Add water and mix.

5. When the mixture starts to firm up, add most of the oil, mix, then add the remaining oil. Knead into a uniform dough.

6. Knead the dough intermittently: knead for a few minutes and let it rest for a few minutes, repeating this several times (sometimes more water is needed; see more detailed instructions in the baking tips section).

7. Let the dough rise using one of the following methods:

*Transfer the dough into a greased plastic bag to prevent sticking, and loosely seal the bag to allow space for rising.

Or:

*Transfer the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with a lid or a bag. These methods allow the dough to sweat and rise nicely.

8. Allow it to rise for 40 minutes to one hour and fifteen minutes, until the dough has risen sufficiently. (See the tips section for factors affecting rise time and a tip on how to check if the dough has risen enough).

9. Remove the dough from the bag, separate the challah, and present all your requests and prayers before Hashem (see 'Prayer during Challah Separation' in this section).

10. Divide the dough into desired portions, form dough strips by flattening and rolling (see the section on braiding challah) and let them rise for a short 5 minutes so that the strips are puffy and smooth when braided.

11. Braid the dough into challah as desired (see stunning examples in section 4 of chapter E) and allow an additional 20-minute rise or slightly less.

12. Beat an egg with a little vinegar for added shine or prepare another glaze according to the suggestions in the challah baking tips, then sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.

13. Grease a baking tray or line it with parchment paper, and place the challahs on it. It’s advisable to put a disposable pan with some water in the oven for softer challahs.

14. Bake at 200°C (392°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C (356°F) and bake until nicely golden (baking time depends on oven heat and challah size – see the challah baking chapter and tips for detailed guidance).

14. Remove the challahs from the oven and let cool. (Some recommend wrapping the challahs in a towel for 20-30 minutes; see the tips section).

15. If you've made the challahs for another day, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze.

You can find further detailed instructions and the complete chapter in the additional pages and in the tips section. Good luck!

The full chapter can be found in "Challah Paths" by Rebbetzin Esther Tolidano.

For home events and challah baking orders: Call 073-2221290, Email aviva@htv.co.il