Best 2 Jakes Perfect Challah Recipes
**Jake's Perfect Challah: A Journey Through Jewish Culinary Traditions**
Indulge in the delectable flavors and rich history of Jewish cuisine with Jake's Perfect Challah. This comprehensive guide takes you on a culinary adventure, exploring the art of crafting this traditional braided bread, a cornerstone of Jewish culture and cuisine. Discover the secrets behind the perfect challah, from selecting the finest ingredients to mastering the intricate braiding techniques. Along the way, delve into variations of challah, such as the sweet and indulgent Chocolate Babka Challah, the savory and aromatic Za'atar Challah, and the irresistible Everything Challah, a symphony of flavors and textures. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting your culinary journey, Jake's Perfect Challah offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to elevate your baking skills and create mouthwatering challahs that will impress your family and friends.
JACK'S CHALLAH RECIPE
Provided by Food Network
Time 3h
Yield 3 loaves
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Whisk the sugar, yeast and 1 cup of the warm water in a medium bowl. Set aside to bloom.
- Add the flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Make a well in the center of the flour and bury the salt in the well. Add the canola oil, whole egg, remaining 1 1/3 cups warm water and the bloomed yeast, making sure no sediment is left behind. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, increase to medium speed for 30 seconds and then increase to high speed for 3 minutes, mixing until the dough appears smooth.
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm area to proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Split the dough into 3 loaves. Divide each loaf into the desired number of braid strands (3, 4 or 6) and roll each strand to elongate. Braid the strands to a long loaf or a round shape and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the egg yolk with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Brush this egg wash over the shaped loaves and top with 1 tablespoon zaatar per loaf, if using. Let the loaves rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake until lightly golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
- To freeze, cool completely before transferring to a ziptop bag.
MY FAVORITE CHALLAH
The word challah originally meant only the small portion of dough that was put in the oven when baking bread as a reminder of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. It has evolved into the twisted, sweet, almost brioche-like bread that was brought to America by immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe. Although straight loaves of braided challah are eaten throughout the year, round challahs, often studded with raisins, are served for Rosh Hashana, and also for Yom Kippur and Sukkot, the holidays celebrating the New Year and the fall harvest. Throughout the years, I have picked up tips from challah bakers throughout this country and in Europe and Israel. For example: Several risings make a better loaf, and if you want an especially brioche-like texture, let the dough rise slowly in the refrigerator for one of the three risings. The secret to a glossy loaf is to brush with an egg wash twice, once just after braiding and then again just before baking.
Provided by Joan Nathan
Categories project, side dish
Time 1h
Yield 2 challahs
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
- Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
- To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
- Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
- If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking. Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
- Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.
Tips:
- Use fresh yeast: Fresh yeast is more active than dry yeast, so it will produce a lighter and more flavorful challah.
- Proof the yeast: Proofing the yeast means letting it sit in warm water with a little sugar for a few minutes. This helps to activate the yeast and ensure that it is working properly.
- Knead the dough properly: Kneading the dough helps to develop the gluten, which gives the challah its structure and chewiness. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place: The dough should rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. This will allow the yeast to produce carbon dioxide gas, which will cause the dough to rise.
- Shape the dough: Once the dough has risen, you can shape it into a challah. There are many different ways to shape a challah, so you can choose the one that you like best.
- Bake the challah: Bake the challah in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown. You can brush the challah with egg wash before baking to give it a shiny crust.
- Let the challah cool: Let the challah cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Conclusion:
Jake's Perfect Challah is a delicious and versatile bread that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is also a great way to use up leftover ingredients. With a little practice, you can make a perfect challah every time.
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