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Challah
Challah, sometimes spelled Halla or Hallah, is
pronounced Há La. This Jewish bread is served on
Friday night for the Sabbath dinner, and for
holidays. The Sabbath dinner is special and sacred;
the best ingredients are used for this meal. Challah
usually contained white flour and eggs, because this
was considered "the best." However, whole wheat or a
combination of whole wheat and white might be used.
Due to Jewish dietary laws, meat and dairy products
are not served together. Therefore, the bread is
traditionally made with water rather than milk,
since eggs are a main ingredient. The Friday night
Challah is more than likely braided. It can be
braided as fancy as its creator wants. The New
Year's Challah is round, but others for the holiday
can be round or braided.
2 packages (2 tablespoons) active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3 large eggs, room temperature
6 1/2 cups (approx.) King Arthur Unbleached
All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, for glaze
1 tablespoon cold water, for glaze
poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)
In a small bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. In
another bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs
and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add
softened yeast and 4 cups flour. Beat vigorously for
2 minutes. This is a sponge which has the
consistency of cake batter rather than a bread
dough. Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and a
towel. Let rise for 30 minutes; it should be light
and full of tiny bubbles.
Stir the sponge to deflate it, add salt and enough
flour, a little at a time, to make a kneadable
dough. Turn out onto a floured surface.
Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a
smooth, elastic dough. Put dough into an oiled bowl,
turning once to coat the entire ball of dough with
oil. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40
minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface.
Divide into thirds. Shape each third into a rope
about 20 inches long. Lay the ropes side by side on
a well-greased baking sheet. Begin braiding in the
center for a more balanced loaf.
Place right rope over the center rope (right rope is
now the center rope), then the left over the center,
right over center, etc., continuing until the ropes
are too short to braid. Pinch ends together and tuck
under.
To braid the other end of the loaf, turn it so the
braided portion is at the top and the ropes are at
the bottom. Take the center rope and lay it over the
right rope (right rope now is the center), center
rope over the left, until the ends are too short to
braid. Pinch ends together and tuck under. Cover and
let rise for 30 minutes.
Beat egg with cold water to make an egg glaze. Brush
egg glaze lightly over braid. Sprinkle with poppy or
sesame seeds, if desired.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 45 minutes, or
until the internal temperature of the braid reaches
190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately
remove loaf from baking sheet and cool on a rack to
prevent crust from becoming soggy. Makes 1 large
braid.
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