challah bread - john murphy's
(2 ratings)
No Image
There's a long story behind this bread recipe. But I will tell you, I learned to make this bread when I visited old friends of the family who lived in a Victorian house, 40 years ago, in the Bay Area of the San Fransico They had a large marble slab to knead bread on and old wood burning stove. It made all the difference in flavor and texture. Since we all can't live in an old Victorian home in the Bay Area with a woodburning stove or a marble slab...we will just have to make do. There is a big difference in Saffron. My favorite is Spanish Saffron. It is well worth the expense.
►
(2 ratings)
yield
12 serving(s)
prep time
1 Hr
cook time
1 Hr
Ingredients For challah bread - john murphy's
-
1package dry yeast or cake
-
1/4 cwarm water, 120*
-
1 chot water
-
2 Tbspcold raw organic butter
-
2 tspkosher salt (fine)
-
1/16 tspspanish saffron
-
2xlg fresh organic egg, slightly beaten
-
2 tspsugar
-
5 csifted organic milled red wheat flour..more or less
-
2 Tbspsoft organic raw butter
-
1organic egg yolk, egg wash
-
1 Tbspwater, used in the egg wash
-
poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)
How To Make challah bread - john murphy's
-
1Dissolve yeast in 1/4 warm water.
-
2Turn the 1 cup of hot water into a large china bowl and add the 2Tbl. cold butter. Stir until the butter has melted. Add the salt, sugar and (crush by hand} saffron. Do not wash your hands the saffron flavor on your hands will help flavor the dough when you knead. Let it rest a minute.
-
3Stir in the slightly beaten eggs.
-
4Add the yeast. Blend well.
-
5Gradually add the sifted flour in till you have a soft dough. Turn out on a slightly floured surface and knead in more flour until you have smooth and shinny dough. If it isn't keep kneading. If it's sticky knead in more flour. The more the dough is kneaded the better. It takes me about 20-25 mintues of continually kneading. And yes, I do have arm muscles.
-
6Top with soft butter and turn..coating all sides.
-
7Cover and set in a warm place until double. About an hour.
-
8Punch down dough and turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until it is smooth, elastic and you heaar popping sounds if you kneaded it enough the first time of kneading.
-
9Cut the dough in 3 equal pieces. Form each piece into a loaf shape.
-
10Roll each piece, by hand on a lightly floured surface, till it's just about 24 inches long. DO NOT stretch the dough.
-
11Braid the 3 pieces together, pinching the ends together. Traditonally, the dough is formed into the letter "C" for Chanukah.
-
12On a little greased large cookie sheet, carefully lift the breaded dough on to it.
-
13Make the egg wash with the water.
-
14Brush the egg wash on the dough. Reserve some of the egg wash.
-
15Cover and set braid in a warm place to rise double. I make a tent with 4 plastic bottles and 2 cotton flour sack towel, because I find the egg wash makes the towel stick.
-
16Brush top of dough again with the egg wash. Sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame seeds on top. Or leave plain.
-
17Bake in a preheated tested oven at 375*. Bake 55 to 60 until crust is a golden brown and the bread tests done. Turn on a rack to cool. How to test for bread..tap on the bread, if you hear a hollow sound it is done.
-
18I have a baker's rack..I inherited. I have a commerical rack too, saved from when I had my catering service. I suggest if you do alot bake..you invest in one.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT