Egg Challah Braid
You'll love this right out of the oven. Get the butter ready!
Servings: 1 .5 pounds
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar divided
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water 105 - 115 degrees F
- 3-1/4 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsp + one good pinch table salt
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg
- egg glaze 1 large egg + 1 Tbsp water
- Vegetable oil cooking spray I used butter flavored
Instructions
- In a 2-cup liquid measure, dissolve 2 tsps of the sugar and the entire packet dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Stir to mix. Let stand for about 5 minutes until it gets frothy.
- While your yeast is fermenting, insert the dough blade into the work bowl of your food processor and add flour and remaining sugar and salt. Pulse about 2-3 times to combine.
- Add the cold water, melted butter and egg to the yeast mixture. (It will look like a mess, but it will get mixed quickly when you add it to the flour.) With the machine running, add liquid through the small feed tube in a steady stream as fast as the flour can absorb it. Once the dough ball forms, continue processing for 45 seconds to knead the dough.
- Place dough in a floured storage bag and seal, leaving an air pocket big enough for the dough to double. (I actually ended up using the vegetable spray in my storage bag because I misread the instructions, but I think this might have actually worked better. Slid right out.) Let the dough rise in a warm place (I left it on my stove top with the overhead light on) until doubled in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Remove dough from the storage bag and place on a lightly floured surface, then punch it down. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. (I used a pizza cutter.) Use your hands to gently roll each piece into a rope about 1 1/2-2" x 14 inches.
- Place the ropes side by side on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. (I used baking paper on my cookie sheet and sprayed it with cooking oil.) Braid loosely from one end. Gently pull and taper each end to a point, then pinch and tuck under the loaf.
- LOOSELY cover the braid with plastic wrap coated in cooking spray, and let rise until about doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees 30 minutes into the rising time for the bread.
- Prepare the egg glaze by combining the extra egg with water. (I used a small plastic jar with a mixing ball to shake it.) Generously brush the egg glaze all over the braid.
- Bake the bread in the lower third of your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped, 5-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- Eat. And eat and eat. Yum!
Notes
Make it a cinnamon challah! (See pics at end of page.) All steps are the same until you come to the construction of the braid. Roll out the braid ropes one at a time, and then flatten it with a roller to about 4 inches wide. Coat with softened butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (1/2 c sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon - you won't use this all). Then roll back up into a rope from one edge and roll the rope in the cinnamon sugar, too. When constructing the braid, put the seam side down on the sheet. Let raise and then apply the egg wash. Bake as in the original recipe. Serve warm if you can. Delicious!
