Holiday Challah
September, 2000
This challah is more like cake than a bread. Everyone who has had it has been very
impressed. Much easier to make than you might think - much better than you can buy.
Makes 2 large raised spiral challas
2 packages rapid rise active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups very warm water (115 degrees. Using rapid rise yeast requires
a higher water temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups golden raisins, scalded, drained, and dried (dry by spreading raisins on an absorbent terry towel)
8-10 cups unbleached white flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for glaze
Poppy or sesame seeds
Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl. (Make sure that bowl is at least room temperature) Stir until yeast is
dissolved (wire whisk works well). Add sugar, oil, salt, eggs, and golden raisins. Add 3 1/4 cups of the flour to make the batter smooth. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft and pliable dough that will pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Empty the the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until it is smooth and has a satin appearance. Actually with all of the stress before holiday meals there is an alternative to just kneading the dough. Pick up the challah dough and slam it down on the counter then gather it up and repeat over and over. This actually is much easier on your hands, mixes the dough more efficiently and
has the side benefit of relieving stress. Remember that you cannot over knead bread dough.
Put the dough into a warm bowl lightly coated with oil, turning it to make sure the top is coated. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise until doubled. About 1/2 to 3/4 hour.
Punch the dough in the bowl down and divide it in half. Knead each piece separately, then cover and leave alone for 15 minutes.
Take one piece of the dough and roll it into a long 36-40 inch rope. Spray a cookie sheet with a vegetable spray and set aside. Starting from the inside wrap the rope of dough into a raised spiral shape while on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover and let rise
about 1/2 hour until double in size.
Brush both challas with the egg and water glaze and let dry for 5 minutes. Brush a second time and sprinkle with Poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
Make sure that your oven rack is on the lowest setting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake 30 minutes. If bread seems to be browning too fast aluminum foil can be tented over the
challas.
Challas are done when cracks are dry and sound hollow when lightly tapped. Cool on wire racks..
If you only have one oven keep the second challah covered without putting the glaze on until the first challah is out of the oven. Then coat with glaze and seeds immediately before putting in the oven.
This Challah dough can be refrigerated overnight after punching it down in the bowl after it rises the first time. Make sure it is covered with plastic wrap and a towel. The next day you will have to re-knead the dough and let it rise again. It will take less time than the first time. Then you can divide it, roll it,
and shape it. Follow the recipe from that point.
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