Makes 2 braided loaves
Equipment Needed:
- Dough Mixer
- Pizza Peel
- Pizza Stone
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 1/2 | tablespoons | Active dry yeast |
| 1/2 | cup | Bottled water (Evian, Poland Springs, etc.) |
| 1/3 | Cup | Sugar |
| 4 | ounces | Unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1 | cup | Whole milk |
| 1 | tablespoon | Mild honey |
| 2 | Tablespoons | Kosher Salt |
| 4 | large | Eggs |
| 6 1/2 | cups | High-gluten flour, bread flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour |
| Corn Meal | ||
I use 2 Pizza Stones and 2 ovens for this recipe because both loaves won’t fit on one stone.
Directions:
- Put the pizza stone(s) in the oven(s) and preheat to 365°
- Grease a large mixing bowl with butter.
- Place the water in a small bowl and warm to 80° (check with a thermometer)
- Whisk 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the water
- Whisk the yeast into the water.
- Let sit for 10 minutes. It should be foamy. If not, the yeast was old or dead, or the water was too hot. In either case, you’ll need to start over with fresh water, sugar and yeast.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and toss into a small saucepan with the milk; heat gently and stir until the milk is warm (not hot) and the butter has melted.
- Add the remaining sugar, honey and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.
- Remove from stove and let the mixture cool until it’s no warmer than 110′F.
- Whisk the yeast mixture into the milk mixture,
- Whisk in the eggs.
- Pour into the dough mixer and set on low.
- Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, allowing flour to mix in after each addition.
- Once the dough thickens, increase speed to medium
- Continue adding flour until the dough thickens enough to clean the side of the mixing bowl.
- Set on medium low and let it knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Dump the dough into the buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and top with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise someplace warm (not too warm) for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Punch down and let rise until dough has doubled again (about 45 minutes).
- Dump dough out on to a lightly floured surface, and cut in half. Cut each half in thirds.
- Roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches long; it should be thicker in the center and tapered at the ends.
- Align the ropes vertically, side by side, and start braiding from the center to one end. When you’ve reached the end, turn the loaf around and braid from the center to the other end. Pinch the ends to seal and tuck the ends under the loaf.
- Liberally sprinkle cornmeal on a Pizza Peel (paddle) and place the braided dough on it.
- Do the same with the other three pieces of dough.
- Cover with a towel and let rise at room temperature for about an hour, or until soft, puffy, and almost doubled.
THE GLAZE AND TOPPING
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- Sesame, poppy, and/or caraway seeds (optional)
- Coarse salt
Instructions:
- Whisk the egg, yolk, and water together in a small bowl .
- Brush the tops and sides of the challah with glaze; wait 5 minutes, and brush again.
- Sprinkle coarse salt over the loaves.
- If you’re topping the loaves, sprinkle them with seeds.
- Reserve the leftover glaze for brushing the loaves during baking.
Baking the Bread
Slide the dough from the peel onto the preheated baking stone(s).
Bake for 20 minutes. The loaves will expand and expose some of the inner dough. Brush the newly exposed dough with the reserved glaze and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the loaves are golden and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
