How to Make Challah

How to Make Challah How to Make Challah Challah is basically traditional Jewish bread that is eaten on Sabbath and high holidays. This preparation of bread involves the use of eggs and can be just wonderful for the making of French toast and sandwiches. In this article we shall know about the making of challah at home. The things that are required for making this bread are as mentioned below:

3 tbsp sugar
1 cup of water
3 packages of dry yeast
1 tbsp salt
5 cups of all purpose flour
¼ cup of softened butter or margarine
3 eggs
½ cup of warm milk
Oil
2 egg yolks

After having gathered all the ingredients that are necessary for the making of challah, we can now proceed towards its preparation method. Have a look at the step by step guide given below that can help you perform this task in an easier and simpler manner:

Take a small bowl and mix in it the yeast, warm water and sugar. Allow the ingredients in the bowl to dissolve properly before proceeding further. In the meanwhile you can sift the salt and flour and keep them aside. Take another larger bowl and mix in it the specified amount of butter, eggs and milk. Beat the eggs nicely in butter and milk and then pour in the yeast mixture into the larger bowl.
To this bowl that contains the yeast and butter, eggs and milk mixture, you shall have to add the sifted flour and salt and make dough out of the mixture. This can be done by taking out the mixture from the large bowl onto a floured surface and then kneading it with hands to make it soft dough. Keep in mind that you shall have to continue kneading the dough for about 10-15 minutes so that it becomes smooth and elastic. After you feel that you have achieved the right smoothness for the dough, place it in a bowl. Make sure that the bowl is well oiled before you place the dough in it. Use a lid to cover the bowl. Let the dough be in the covered bowl for about an hour so that it rises in size. After an hour or so, take the dough out from the bowl and place it on a flat surface and punch it down with your hands. This will help in releasing any air bubbles that might have got trapped inside the dough. After doing so, knead the dough again but this time you have to do it more lightly. Now you have to divide the entire dough into six long strips by rolling them. Make sure that each strip is about 18-20 inch long.
After having done that, you have to position all the strips side by side. You would have to pinch the strips at one end and then braid them to end. You can then tuck them under for closing them. However be very careful that you do not overstretch the dough. Now again you have to leave them covered for allowing them to rise in size. However this time you can keep them covered for about 40 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to about 400 degrees. Prepare a yolk mixture that shall be brushed on the loaves before baking them. This yolk mixture can be prepared by mixing salt, water and egg yolks. Now place the loaves that are brushed with yolk mixture inside the oven and start baking them for about 40 minutes. Remove the challah from the oven when you notice that its color has changed to golden brown.