Best 3 Ethiopian Honey Challah Recipes

ETHIOPIAN HONEY BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Mix the yeast with the warm water and 2 Tbsp of honey, and let sit for 10 minutes to allow yeast to activate. Bubbles will form in the cloudy mixture when the yeast is activated.
• 2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, 1/2 cup of honey, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Gently stir in the yeast mixture, and then add the warm milk and melted stick of butter.
• 3. Stir 2 cups of the flour into the liquid mixture until it's well mixed. Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time while mixing with your hands. If the dough is wet and sticky, keep adding 1/2 cup of flour until the dough is smooth.
• 4. Lightly flour a flat surface, and knead the dough with your knuckles for about 15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• 5. Place dough in a lightly oiled glass bowl. Cover the bowl and set it aside in a warm place to rise for about 90 minutes. It should double in size.
• 6. Punch the dough down, and form the dough into an oval loaf or separate into three equal-size strands and braid the dough into a long braided loaf. Place round or braided loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover it with a warm cloth and set aside for 45 minutes to rise.
• 7. Preheat oven to 325°F.
• 8. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk (or water). Brush the milky egg over the surface of the braided loaf. Bake for about 55 to 65 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside. It's great to enjoy at breakfast with butter and honey or jam, and served with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

ETHIOPIAN MILK AND HONEY BREAD (YEMARINA YEWOTET DABO)

Steps:

• Mixing and First Rise
• Bloom the instant yeast for 2-3 minutes by combining it in a small bowl with the warm water and sugar.
• In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix the slightly warmed milk, honey, and egg.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the yeast-sugar-water and mix thoroughly. Cover and let the dough sit about 15 minutes to develop the the gluten.
• Pour the oil over the dough and work it in by squishing and kneading for several minutes. Cover and let the dough rest another 15 minutes.
• Do 1-2 rounds of stretching and folding with a 15-minute rest in between.
• Cover and let the dough rise for another 1.5-2 hours or until the dough has doubled. In a warm summer kitchen, my dough rose for about 2 hours total from initial mixing to doubled. In a cooler kitchen, the dough may need longer.
• Shaping and Second Rise
• Wash and dry your banana leaves.
• Line a 9" springform pan with the leaves, making sure you have excess for wrapping over the top of the dough. (See the photo gallery below)
• Lightly oil the leaves on all parts that will touch the dough.
• Gently scrape the dough out of your bowl and into the pan. With damp fingertips, press the dough to gently de-gas it and spread it evenly in the pan. Wrap the leaves over the top of the dough, not tightly on top but with no exposed dough.
• Let the dough rise again for 1-1.5 hours until the leaves/dough are cresting over the top edge of the pan.
• Baking
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 55 minutes. Check on the bread partway through the bake and carefully re-cover it with the leaves if some pop off from the oven spring. Bread in a heavier/thicker pan may need longer to bake. Aim for an internal temp over 200F.
• After baking, pop open the springform latch and let the bread cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and peeling off the leaves.
• Serve warm if desired, for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

ETHIOPIAN HONEY CHALLAH

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the water and allow to "proof" in a warm place for 5 minutes, until it is frothy. Combine the egg, honey, spices, and salt in a deep bowl and stir to combine the ingredients. Add the yeast mixture, milk, and 4 tablespoons (60ml) of the butter, stirring to thoroughly combine. Stir in the flour, 1/2 cup (125ml) at a time, adding only enough flour to make a dough that can be gathered into a ball. When the dough becomes too stiff to use a spoon, mix in the additional flour with your hands. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a dish cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Using a pastry brush, spread the remaining butter on the bottom and sides of a round 3-quart (3L) baking dish, about 3" (8cm) deep and 8" (20cm) in diameter. Punch the dough down and knead for 1 or 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a round and place it in the baking dish, pressing it out so that it covers the entire bottom of the dish. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. Bake in a preheated 300°F (150°C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is crusty and light golden brown. Turn the loaf out of the baking dish onto a wire rack to cool. This bread may be eaten while still warm or completely cooled, and is traditionally served with butter and honey.