Limmud Festival 2011: Challah Baking

Nadia, best of all wives in the world and my wife, gave a Challah baking workshop at the Limmud Festival today:

Putting it all into 1:15h was not so simple but Nadia managed and gave the participants a fast-paced and rich run-down of our Shabbat preparations.
The participants where able to take not only their own self-made challah with them but also Nadia's famous bread-machine challah recipe and a handout about hafrashat challah (the separation of challah).

Continue reading for the full recipe...

Bread Machine Challah Recipe

Tools:

• bread machine
  
• 2 measuring cups (250ml each)
  
• kneading board
  
• oven

Ingredients:

• ¾ cups of warm water
  
• 1 cube of fresh yeast or 2 bags of dry yeast
  It is never a kosher problem with a fresh yeast.
• 2 eggs
  Do not forget to check eggs for blood.
• ⅓ cups of white or brown sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp of honey
  
• ⅓ cups of oil (sunflower is the best)
  
• 1½ tsp of salt
  
• 5 cups of flour (can be a combination of whole grain and regular).
  Flour has to be checked for bugs.

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water
   
2. Add all liquid ingredients
   
3. Add all dry ingredients
   
4. Start the machine on the “dough” cycle
   
5. Take dough out from the machine
   
   
6. Put on the floured kneading board and form challot
   
   
7. Put challot into warm oven (50°C) for 30 min to raise
   (challot should double in size)
   
8. Glaze with beaten egg
   
9. Sprinkle on sesame or poppy seeds
   
10. Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes (challot will be nice brown color)
    
11. Let challot cool down on the racks

Notes:

• Challot can be frozen and unfreeze as fresh within 3-4 hours.
  Put challot on top of a pot on the hot plate to unfreeze on Shabbat!
  
• For special occasions you can add raisins to the dough.