05/16/2023
Chewy, light, spongy and sweet! ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ฅ
Mama's Challah
Ingredients
- 7 cups bread flour
- ยผ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp. water
- 2 packages regular yeast
Preparation
Mix in tall glass: 3 T. flour, 2 T. sugar, both packages of yeast.
Stir mixture slightly then add cup lukewarm water (100-110F measure using liquid thermometer).
Let this bubble and rise to the brim of glass for about 10 minutes. This should bubble up to the top. If it doesnt start to foam within a few minutes, try again with warmer water.
In the meantime, in a medium bowl (bowl A), combine 3 cups flour and 2 tsp. salt
In larger bowl (bowl B) whisk together brown sugar, oil, 2 eggs
Pour contents from bowl A into bowl B.
Add the contents of glass into bowl B.
Add another 1 cups lukewarm water (110-115 degrees) into bowl B.
Add 4 more cups of flour into bowl B.
Mix everything with a wooden spoon at a quick pace.
When it's too thick to mix with a spoon, transfer dough to a floured wooden board or other surface for about 5 minutes.
Keep hands floured, add small amounts of flour by hand when dough gets sticky. It should be smooth, not too loose, not too firm, not too sticky.
Scrape off bits of dough from the board, so the surface is clean, and smooth.
Form into a round.
Lightly oil another large bowl, place dough in the bowl, turn over to coat with oil.
Cover bowl with lightly damp towel. Have warm oven ready
Preheat the oven to 150F then turn off before putting dough in.
Place the bowl in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
At 45 minutes check to see if it doubled in size.
Remove bowl from oven, dip fist into flour, very gently punch 10-12 times to punch out air.
Knead again on a floured board 5 minutes, add a bit of oil to bowl again, make round; return dough to bowl, cover, return to oven, let rise again 30 to 40 minutes.
Punch down again, knead into a round.
Gently divide into 2 loaves with a sharp knife do not saw.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Place 1 loaf aside in a bowl. With remaining loaf, knead with 1 hand into a ball.
If using raisins, add them now, then divide into 3 pieces, braid on lightly floured board.
Roll out, fatter in the middle, skinny on the ends of each rope.
Pinch ends together, tuck under.
Repeat with another loaf.
Place on an oiled cookie sheet.
Make egg wash mix 1 egg and a bit of water, brush over loaves.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Source: Foodista