Apple Challah Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil; set aside. Slice the challah into eight 3/4- to 1-inch-thick pieces. Whisk the eggs and half-and-half in a large shallow dish, then whisk in the granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until the sugar is dissolved and the custard is smooth. Put the confectioners' sugar in a fine-mesh strainer.
• Add 4 slices of bread to the custard and let soak, turning once, until saturated but not falling apart, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the soaked bread, letting the excess custard drip off, then immediately dust with some of the confectioners' sugar. Cook until the bottom of the bread is golden, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Continue to cook, flipping twice more and dusting with more confectioners' sugar each time, until both sides are browned and caramelized, about 5 more minutes; add 1/2 tablespoon more butter when the skillet is dry. Transfer to the baking sheet. Add 1 more tablespoon butter to the skillet and repeat with the remaining bread, custard and confectioners' sugar; add 1/2 tablespoon more butter to the skillet when needed. Transfer the baking sheet with all the French toast to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and add 4 tablespoons butter; increase the heat to medium high. Add the apples and cardamom and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the honey, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the brandy and carefully tilt the pan or use a long lighter to ignite. Cook until the apples are glazed and soft but not falling apart, 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and swirl to melt and slightly thicken the sauce.
• Divide the French toast among plates. Spoon the apples and sauce on top.

Steps:

• Mixing the yeast slurry
• In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast and 1 cup (125 grams/3.8 ounces) of the flour, then whisk in the warm water until smooth. Let the slurry stand uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes, or until it begins to ferment and puff up slightly.
• Mixing the dough
• Whisk the eggs, oil, salt, and sugar into the puffed yeast slurry until the eggs are well incorporated and the salt and sugar have dissolved. With your hands or a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining 4 cups (550 grams/20 ounces) flour all at once. When the mixture is a shaggy ball, scrape it out onto your work surface and knead it until it is smooth and firm, no more than 10 minutes. (Soak your mixing bowl in hot water now to clean it and warm it for fermenting the dough.) If the dough is too firm to knead easily, add a tablespoon or two of water to it; if it seems to wet, add a few tablespoons of flour.
• The dough should feel smooth, soft, and only slightly sticky.
• Fermenting the dough for the first time
• Place the dough in the warmed clean bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let ferment for 1 hour, or until just slightly puffed. While the dough is fermenting, prepare the apples.
• Preparing the apples
• Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut each quarter lengthwise in half, then cut each slice crosswise in half if the apple was medium size, or into three pieces if the apple was large; you should end up with large squarish chunks. Measure out 4 1/2 heaping cups (660 grams/23 ounces) of chunks (reserve any extra for another use) and transfer them to a covered container. (Braeburns do not brown excessively, but if you are using another variety and are concerned about overbrowning, toss the apples with a few drops of lemon juice.)
• Rolling out the dough and adding the apples
• Sprinkle the dough and your work surface with flour and pull the dough out of the bowl. Cut the dough into two equal pieces and keep one piece covered while you work on the other. Roll out the dough into a 16-inch (41-cm) square about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Scatter 1 heaping cup of the apples over the center third of the dough, then fold up the bottom third to cover them. Press the dough into the apples to try to seal it around them. Scatter another heaping cup over the folded-over apple-filled portion of the dough and fold the top of the dough over it to create a very stuffed letter fold. Press down on the dough to try to push out any air pockets and to seal it around the apples. Roll the dough up from a short side into a chunky cylinder, push the dough into the bowl with the smooth side up, and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat with the other piece of dough and put it in a second covered bowl or other container. Let the dough ferment for about another hour, or until slightly risen and very soft.
• Shaping and proofing the dough
• Oil two 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans or 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch (18.5-by-8.5-cm) loaf pans. Using as much dusting flour as you need, pat each dough half as best as you can into a rough round or log shape, trying to keep the dough's smooth skin intact over the top. You will not be able to deflate the dough much at this point because of the apples. Slip the dough into the pans smooth side up and cover well with plastic wrap. (The shaped loaves can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, which will only intensify their flavor.) Let the loaves proof until they have risen over the edges of their pans, about 30 minutes (or up to 1 1/2 hours if the loaves have been refrigerated).
• Immediately after shaping the breads (or 30 minutes before baking if the loaves have been refrigerated), arrange an oven rack in the lower third position, remove any racks above it, and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/gas mark 4).
• Baking the loaves
• When the loaves have risen and do not push back when gently pressed with your finger but remain indented, brush each one with a generous tablespoon of oil, then sprinkle them with a few tablespoons of sugar to form a sugary-oily crust. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until very well browned. After the first 40 minutes of baking, switch the pans from front to back so that the breads brown evenly. When the loaves are done, remove them from the oven, unmold them, and let them cool on a rack.

Steps:

• Butter a large bowl, and melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to buttered bowl, and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2-by-14-inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tablespoon melted butter; cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. Butter plastic wrap, and cover dough. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.
• Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Brush dough with half the honey-butter. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.
• Brush challah with the remaining honey-butter. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.