Days of The Dragon

More than one person has asked for the Challah recipe I used in this post. Well, here it is!

Everything you need

• 3 packages of active dry yeast (or 1 cube of caked yeast)
• 1 3/4 cups of warm water (NOT HOT - you will kill the yeast)
• 1 cup of sugar (you must use real sugar so the yeast have something to eat, NO splenda!)
• 6 cups of flour (I use unbleached bread flour, but general purpose flour will work)
• 5 large or jumbo eggs (Challah is EGG BREAD, you know!)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon salt

How to do it

In a small bowl get the yeast happy. Mix the yeast with a whisk into 3/4 cup of warm water and 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

It should start making tiny little bubbles within a few minutes. While it is doing its thing, carry on…

In a very large bowl (preferably glass or ceramic - or a stand mixer’s bowl) put the rest of the dry ingredients (6 cups of flour, 1 T of salt, 1 cup of sugar). Mix them up so the salt and sugar are evenly distributed.

Wait until the yeast mixture has grown in volume for at least 10 minutes, it should be bubbly.

Once the yeast is ready add the wet ingredients to it (1 cup warm water, 3 whole eggs + 1 additional egg yolk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil).

Mix this with your stand mixer or a large spoon until nicely combined, or a minimum of 10 minutes. The dough should become sticky, but still easily pull away from the sides of the bowl…add a small amount of flour if needed to help make the dough a little less sticky.

Place the bowl in warm place (I warm my oven to 150, place the bowl inside and then turn the oven OFF!). Leave it alone for 2 hours. If the dough is now roughly twice the size it was 2 hours ago then you’re ready to move on. If it isn’t then leave it for another half hour.

Now, lightly flour your countertop or a large, flat surface. Put the dough onto the floured surface. It will deflate - don’t laugh at it, you will screw up the yeast. Kneed the dough for 5-10 minutes, adding small amounts of flour if needed to keep it from sticking to you.

Cut it into 2 or more equal pieces. Shape them how you want or use oiled loaf pans. If not using loaf pans, then be sure to oil whatever you cook them on so they don’t stick.

Before putting into the oven, take the last egg and beat it with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Rub the entire surface of the dough with the beaten egg. Place into the oven at 350 degrees. If you have cut the dough in half, then bake each loaf separately for about 30-40 minutes. If you made dinner rolls or something smaller then adjust your time downward a bit.

Take it out of the oven.

EAT IT!!!

Food, Home Life, Miscellaneous | RSS 2.0 | Leave a Puff of Dragon Fire, or trackback this post.