Tasty Challah

1 tbsp. sugar
½ cup warm water
1 ½ ounces fresh yeast
3 eggs
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup oil
¼ cup wheat germ
2 cups hot water
12 cups flour plus,
½ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. salt

GLAZE:
1 egg, beaten
Poppy seeds

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in ½ cup warm water. Crumble yeast into sugar-water, min and let stand until it begins to foam. Add eggs and mix well. Add sugar, oil and wheat germ and mix again.

Slowly add hot water, flours and salt, alternating liquid and dry ingredients. When dough forms a single ball, place on floured board and knead until smooth.

Place in oiled bowl and turn so top is oiled. Cover with towel and let rise 30 to 45 minutes until doubled in bulk. Punch down. Let rise again until doubled.

Punch down. Separate Challah with a blessing. Divide dough into four parts and shape loaves. Place in greased pans and let rise 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400.

Brush loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 400 for 5 to 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until brown. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

USE: baking sheets or loaf pans
YIELDS: 4 loaves

5 Comments Posted

Note: The laws of Shabbat rest mandate that all cooking and baking be done before Shabbat, and regulate food preparation done on Shabbat in other ways as well. For more information, see Food Preparation on Shabbat.

Excerpted from Spice and Spirit, The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook, published by Lubavitch Women's Cookbook Publications

The content on this page is copyrighted by the author, publisher and/or Chabad.org, and is produced by Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with the copyright policy.

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:

Posted: Oct 1, 2007

mixing

If you are referring to the yeast starter you can mix that by hand, once the yeast has risen you can add the rest of the ingredients and mix with the dough hook in the mixer or mix it all by hand with a good wooden spoon.

Posted By Chani Benjaminson, Chabad.org

Posted: Sep 26, 2007

query

i'm a complete novice. when mixing, at the beginning, does one need a mixer or do you use your hands?

Posted By emily, australia

Posted: Oct 4, 2006

Don't give up!

Making Challah is an art that depends on many factors - the moisture in the air, the temperature of where you let it rise, and what you put into it. Don't give up!

If this is your first time baking bread, try to find a friend who you can watch and get "hands on" expereince with. Much of what to do depends on how it looks and feels.

And, if the challah isn't what you thought it would be, your attempt, your time, your energy is still worth it. You can make french toast, croutons, mix it into meat loaf, or just feed the birds. Your blessing made a difference!

Finally, buy the cook book this recipe comes from. The illustrations, the spiritual advice (It's easy to say "separate challah with a blessing" but this book explains exactly how), are all the highest quality you can find!

Posted By Yocheved Schoenes, Baltimore, MD