Challah | Greedybread

Brrrr Cold today, so some nice fresh, hot Challah will be a treat!!

This Challah, is the result of trial and error over time of 3-4 recipes that i tried, pulled apart and added things in my quest to recreate the Challah from Sasha Finkelstzyn in Rue de Rosiers, Paris. All I can say, is that nothing else tastes like it (Sasha’s Challah, not mine, i wish!!) and I need to use way way more butter as its bready but very buttery but not like a pastry or sickly buttery. Hmm, more work is needed. In saying that however, the quest will continue BUt this Challah here is still pretty good, if i do say so myself:)

Ingredients CHECK!!

Michelle’s yeasty beasty Challah:

6 eggs + 1 for egg wash
150g butter or Dairy free margarine
20g yeast
5 cups of flour , Strong bread flour is best
pinch of salt
1 cup of raisins
1 cup milk warmed
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of Olive oil

Method:

Dissolve 1 tbsp sugar in warm milk and stir in yeast.
Cover with gladwrap and leave in warm place until creamy and frothy.
Place flour and salt in bowl and mix well.
Rub in butter
Add in sugar and raisins.
Remove creamy yeast from warm place and add in the 6 eggs beaten and oil to yeasty mix.
Add Yeasty eggy oil mix to dry to form a dough
Turn out on floured area and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elasticy

All ready for punching down!!

Place in lightly oiled bowl and cover, leave in warm place for 90 minutes.
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Remove from warm place and turn out on floured area.
Knock pout excess air and knead for 5 minutes.
Shape into the shape you want.
Traditionally this is braided but it can be oval, rectangle anything you like.
Braiding is VERY VERY easy even an unco like me can do it:)

4 braid ?

Perhaps a 6 braid?

4 braid all ready for proving!!

You wouldn’t think i had 3 sons with this braiding!!

Place braided or shaped loaves, covered in a warm place for 1 hour.
Be careful not to over prove as i did on the 4 braided one (see below)
Over proving meant when baking, the braids would not look separate as i wanted.
Pre heat oven 15 minutes before ready to 210 Celsius
Remove loaves from warm place and brush with egg wash.
Place in over for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool (if you can wait that long)

Perfect- not overproved!!

See, over proving!!
Its ok, and tastes good but the braids are not easily seen.

Just great!! Very nice and tastes……divine!!

Enjoy, enjoy and enjoy!!

You can omit the raisins and all the sugar bar a small amount for the yeast and make this a savoury or plain bread.You can also sprinkle it with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, I have also seen a poppy-seed mix inside the Challah too. You could change the raisins and add other fruits and spices as well.

Many variations and many happy hours of trialling these methods are to be had 🙂