Chicken Farm Baker's Project #20 : Let 's bake braid the Challah

Chicken Farm Baker's Project for this month, we practice braiding "Let 's bake braid the Challah", well, I never make this bread before (but I had braided the bread, a long time ago). So the first time for me is a little excited, haha. 

Luckily I don't have to take a lot of time in searching for the recipe because I just bought a new book , and there is Challah recipe in this book, so the only thing that I needed to do is try this recipe. If you love to read you must know the ..................... magazine the recipe from it usually great, both in the method and taste. And for this Challah, they use the hybrid technique by making 2 braids, by placing the small one over the big one, is very good, easier and more beautiful.


By following this recipe, making the Challah is very easy (I never know it before, ^ ^). The Challah has a lot of egg, so the bread will rise beautifully in the oven, and the crust will turn into lovely golden brown.


This bread is very tasty, I love when toast it a bit and the white crumb turn into the golden hue, serve it with a jam (or if you love more richness, a thin layer of butter) and a cup of coffee, it's great! Or you can turn this bread into a delicious bread pudding, with a tasty bread as this one, it's not hard to get the delicious pudding too.

For anyone who never bake a braided bread before, this one can be your first, because the dough is very easy to handle (very easy to shape, too), so braiding it is a easy too.

Even it's not in the holiday season, it's a good idea to have a bread at home, and well, it's will be better if the bread is a delicious one.

Challah

Makes 1 large loaf

3-3¼ cups (15-16¼  ounces) .......... unbleached all-purpose flour, plus

................................................................ plus extra for dusting work surface

¼ cup (1¾ ounces) ............................ sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons ..................................... instant yeast

1 ¼ teaspoons ..................................... table salt

2 ............................................................. large eggs 

1 ............................................................. large egg yolk

4 tablespoons (½  stick) .................... unsalted butter, melted

½  cup plus 1 tablespoon ................... warm water (about 110 degrees F)

................................................................ large egg white (for wash)

1teaspoon ............................................. poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

1. Whisk together 3 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Mix together 2 eggs, yolk, melted butter, and ½ cup water in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook. 

Add flour mixture to wet mixrure; knead at low speed until dough ball forms, about 5 minutes, adding remaining ¼cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to prevent dough from sticking. Whisk reserved egg white with remaining 1 tablespoon water in small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

2. Transfer dough to lightly oiled large bowl, turning dough over to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.

 Gently press dough to deflate, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size again, 40 to 60 minutes.

3. Lightly grease large baking sheet and set aside. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 2 pieces, one roughly half the size of  the other. (Small piece will weigh about 9 ounces, larger piece about 18 ounces.) Divide large piece into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 16-inch-long rope, about 1 inch in diameter. Line up ropes of dough side by side and pinch ends together. Take dough rope on left and lay it over center rope. Take dough rope on right and lay it over center rope. Repeat until ropes of dough are entirely braided, then pinch ends together. Place braid on baking sheet.

 Divide smaller piece of dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 16-inch-long rope, about ½  inch in diameter. Braid together, pinching ends to seal. Brush some of egg wash on top of large loaf and place small braid on larger braid. Loosely drape loaf with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until loaf becomes puffy and increases in size by one-third, 30 to 45 minutes.

4. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if using. Bake until loaf is golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into side of loaf reads 190 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. Place baking sheet on wire rack. Cool loaf completely before slicing.

Chicken Farm Baker's Project #20 :  Let 's bake braid the Challah