Mirenna's Favorite Challah
Traditionally, the Jews eat challah every Friday night as they break bread for the Sabbath. This tasty recipe is delicious anytime and makes the best French Toast.
Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water
3 packages yeast
8 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 sticks (1/2 lb) unsalted butter
5 organic eggs (reserve one for glaze)
Here's How:
Mix water and yeast in a large bowl.
Add 3 cups flour and 1 cup sugar. Stir with a fork and let rise 30 minutes in a warm place.
In another bowl, place 5 cups flour, the salt and the half cup of sugar.
Add the butter by cutting in with a knife and fork until mixture resembles coarse meal.
After 30 minutes, add 4 beaten eggs to yeast mixture and stir well.
Add butter/flour mixture to yeast mixture and mix.
If sticky, add up to 2 more cups of flour.
Knead well on floured board until smooth and elastic.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with towel, place in warm place and let rise 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Punch down and knead lightly for a minute or so.
Divide dough into parts. The recipe makes about 4 small-medium loaves. (2 large ones)
Braid the loaves.
Place in oiled loaf pans or on cookie sheet.
Cover and let rise in warm place for 3-5 hours.
The longer you let it rise, the lighter the loaves will be.
When done rising, brush with beaten egg and bake for about 45 minutes at 350.
Allow to cool on a rack and eat, yum!
4 medium loaves will take approximately 30 minutes to bake.2 larger loaves will take approximately 45-50 minutes to bake. Challah makes the best French Toast too! You can also make bubka by mixing cinnamon and sugar and spread this on a flattened slab of dough. You could sprinkle with chopped dried fruits and nuts and/or honey or jam and roll up, pinching the ends together. Glaze with butter and some more cinnamon and sugar and bake. Yum!