Sweet Honey And Saffron Challah Recipes

Steps:

• Warm the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook by rinsing it with hot water. Pour the warm water into the bowl (be sure it's at least 110 degrees F when it?s in the bowl) and mix in the yeast, sugar and saffron. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, until it starts to froth, which tells you that the yeast is active. Add the eggs and egg yolk and mix on low speed. With the mixer on low, gradually add 4 1/2 cups of the flour, scraping down the bowl as you go. With the mixer on low, add the salt and butter, then slowly add between 1 and 1 1/2 more cups of the flour, mixing on low for about 5 minutes and continuing to add a dusting of flour to the bowl but only enough so the dough doesn't stick to the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be soft and a little sticky.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it by hand for a full 2 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball with the smooth side up. Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl, smooth-side down. Roll the dough around to cover it with oil, then turn it smooth-side up, making sure the entire dough is covered with oil to prevent a crust from forming. Cover the bowl with a clean dry kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Punch the dough down lightly and turn it out onto an unfloured cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Turn the first ball of dough smooth-side up and roll it into a cylinder. Roll the dough into a rope 17 inches long and lay it seam-side down on the parchment paper. Repeat for the other 3 balls of dough, laying them side by side on the parchment paper.
• To braid the dough, pile one end of the ropes on top of each other and pinch them together and under. With the pinched end away from you, take the far right rope and move it left over 2 ropes. Then take the far left rope and move it right over 2 ropes. Continue taking alternate ropes and laying them over 2 ropes until you?ve braided the entire bread. Pinch the ends together and fold them under. Cover the bread with a clean dry kitchen towel and allow it to sit in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Brush the bread thoroughly with the egg wash and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the outside is browned and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. Place the challah on a baking rack and cool completely.

Steps:

• Mix the yeast, 1/3 cup of sugar, and warm water together in a large bowl, stir to dissolve the sugar, and let the mixture stand until a creamy layer forms on top, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of flour to make a loose sponge.
• In a separate bowl, beat 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 cup of sugar together, and stir the egg mixture into the yeast-flour mixture until well combined. Continue mixing in flour, 1 cup at a time, up to 9 total cups. Dough should be slightly sticky, but not so wet that it leaves dough stuck to your hands.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 5 minutes to develop gluten. Form the dough into a compact round shape, and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over several times in the bowl to oil the surface of the dough, cover the bowl with a cloth, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and knead for another 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
• Grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper. To make egg glaze, whisk together 1 egg, 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, and refrigerate until needed.
• Cut the dough into 4 pieces, and cut each piece into 3 smaller pieces for a 3-strand braided loaf. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Place the loaves onto the prepared baking sheets, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. Brush a coating of egg glaze onto the tops of the bread, and reserve the remaining glaze.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and brush another coating of glaze onto the bread. Return to the oven, and bake until the tops are shiny and golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water. Separate two eggs; refrigerate two egg whites. Place remaining egg yolks and eggs in a large bowl. Add 2/3 cup honey, oil, salt, yeast mixture, 3 cups flour and remaining warm water; beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Pour boiling water over raisins in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Knead in raisins. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Divide one portion into six pieces. Roll each into a 16-in. rope. Place ropes parallel on a greased baking sheet; pinch ropes together at the top. , To braid, take the rope on the right and carry it over the two ropes beside it, then slip it under the middle rope and carry it over the last two ropes. Lay the rope down parallel to the other ropes; it is now on the far left side. Repeat these steps until you reach the end. As the braid moves to the left, you can pick up the loaf and re-center it on your work surface as needed. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. For a fuller loaf, using your hands, push the ends of the loaf closer together. Repeat process with remaining dough. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg whites and honey with water; brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
• If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking. Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
• Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.

Steps:

• •Dissolve yeast in cup warm water in a large bowl, stir in honey and saffron strands. Let stand 5 minutes. Add melted butter, salt and egg, stir well with a whisk. •Add 2 3/4 cups of flour to your yeast mixture, and stir until a soft dough forms. Cover and let it stand for 15 minutes. •Turn dough on to a lightly floured surface. Knead until soft and elastic (about 8 minutes) add enough of remaining flour about ¼ cup, 1 tablespoon at a time. •Place dough in a large bowl sprayed with cooking oil, turned to coat top. Cover and let it rise in a draft free place for 40 minutes or double in size.( gently press 2 fingers into the dough. If the indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) •Punch down the dough. shape dough into a ball, return to the bowl, cover and let rise for 40 minutes or until double in size. Punch dough down, cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. •Divide dough into 3 equal portions, on a lightly floured surface; roll each portion into a 25-inch rope with slightly tapered ends. Place rope lengthwise on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal; pinch ends together at untapped ends to seal. Braid ropes; pinch loose ends to seal. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes or until double in size. •Preheat oven to 375 degrees •Combine 1tsps of water and egg yolk, stirring with a fork until blended. Uncover dough, and gently brush with egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle evenly with poppy seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy :)