the responsible thing to do would be to not make a silly Challah joke...

So, my stint at the bakery only lasted three weeks. Never fear, the baking and blogging will continue with the help of loaned books and shared recipes (thank you faithful bread enablers!) The bakery I was volunteering at just wasn't a good fit. They knew it, I knew it, my lack of upper body strength knew it...

But I did learn a thing or two there at the bakery. My second day of work landed smack in the middle of Rosh Hashanah, so I learned how to twist Challah! The dough had already been made and proofed, so the final step is about all I learned... which left me feeling unsatisfied and curious. So when I got home, I found a recipe and made it myself. (spoiler: I haven't figured out how to use starter for this, so I used packaged yeast)


ingredients:

1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 packets of dry yeast
3 eggs
6 cups of flour
1 egg (for the wash)
(poppy seeds are optional..but why not, right?)

method:

place your sugar, salt, and oil in a large bowl. Add the hot water and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Stir in the yeast and let it stand until it's foamy. Add the slightly beaten eggs.

Add in 4 1/2 cups of flour until the dough starts to pull together. Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 1-2 more cups of flour. Continue kneading until your dough is smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes)

Place your dough in a greased bowl and roll it to coat it in the oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise until doubled in size. Punch it down (don't actually hit the dough, just deflate it) and then let it rise again.

divide the dough into two equal parts and using the palms of your hands, roll them with even pressure from the center out until you have two ropes of the same size and length. Position one of your ropes horizontally and then place the second rope over it so that it creates a cross (lets see if I can explain this properly..). Then pick up the left end with your left hand and the right end with your right hand and effectively do a switcheroo... like in this picture

(which I stole from the internet...thanks internet!). Do the same-ish with sides D and C and then continue incorporating the other two strands. After you have successfully braided your dough, either leave it as is or connect the two ends forming a circle and let it rise for a third time on a baking sheet.

When it appears significantly larger, beat your remaining egg and brush it over the top of your Challah. Coat with poppy seeds if you so desire and bake at 350 for 35 minutes until golden brown (if you're unsure if it's done or not, it will sound hollow if you tap the bottom with a wooden spoon).