Water Challah Recipes

Steps:

• Proof yeast by taking 3 cups of luke warm (should feel pleasantly warm on wrist and be about 105-110F; if too hot it will kill the yeast) in a 4 or more cup measuring cup and add 4 Tbs. of instant yeast and 2 Tbs. of sugar. Mix a little. When it reaches the top of the 4 cup mark it is done.
• Meanwhile mix bread flour and salt. [For Rosh Hashannah I add the anise seeds.] Add oil and proofed yeast and water. Knead until smooth, adding flour if dough is too sticky or warm water if too stiff.
• Oil a large mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning once to coat. Cover loosely with a damp towel and allow to rise until doubled (time depends upon warmth of house but with this much yeast maybe as little as 30 minutes to 1 hour).
• When doubled punch down, knead gently folding over. [Now is a good time to separate the challah for the bracha.] Divide into halves, quarters, or eighths depending on size of loaf or smaller for rolls. Shape in braids, discs, rounds, etc. as preferred. Place on greased cookie sheets or whatever shape pan preferred. Cover loosely with towel and allow to rise another hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush each loaf with beaten egg if desired. [If using discs for Rosh Hashannah: use a sharp blade to cut a tic-tac-toe grid on each disc.] Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove and cool on racks.

Steps:

• Crumble the yeast into the water, add sugar, and let bubble. Add flour. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and knead to a soft dough. The dough has to be kneaded very well. Even if it seems like too much flour, keep kneading until it is all incorporated. Let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Separate challah and braid (the dough shouldn't need extra flour) into pans. Once braided, let the challos rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours (for light, airy texture). Preheat oven to 250. Brush challos with egg and place in oven.
• After 10 minutes, raise oven temperature to 450 for 10 minutes, then lower to 350 and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from pans onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for an additional 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, yeast, vegetable oil, and honey in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Using an instant-read thermometer, adjust the temperature of the water so that the combined temperatures of the flour and the liquid give a base temperature of 130 degrees if using a Cuisinart or KitchenAid or 150 degrees if using a Braun. Beat 2 of the eggs and add them to the liquid. With the machine running, pour all but 2 tablespoons of the liquid through the feed tube. Process for 30 seconds. If the dough seems too dry and is not forming a smooth ball, add the reserved liquid and process for 15 seconds more, for a total of 45 seconds. Stop the machine, and take the temperature of the dough with an instant-read thermometer, which should read between 75 degrees and 80 degrees. If the temperature is lower than 75 degrees, process the dough for an additional 5 seconds, up to twice more, until the dough reaches the desired temperature. If the temperature is higher than 80 degrees, remove the thermometer, scrape the dough from the food processor into an un-greased bowl, and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Check the temperature of the dough after 5 minutes; it should be 80 degrees or cooler by that time.;
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it in a large ungreased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and ferment for 1 1/ 2 to 2 hours at room temperature, 70 to 72 degrees. The dough will have noticeably increased in volume and will be light and soft. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten it with the palms of your hands, but do not punch out all of the air bubbles that have formed as the dough has fermented. Form the dough into a loose ball; lift up one edge and fold it into the center. Do this about 4 or 5 times until the dough is formed into a ball. Return it to the bowl, cover, and let proof at room temperature until it doubles in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/ 2 hours. One hour before baking, put the oven rack on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven and place the baking stone on the rack. Place a pan on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a dough scraper or kitchen knife, divide it into 2 pieces. Form each piece into a log shape to be rolled like a baguette. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. To form the dough into round turban shapes, roll one piece into a strip about 14 inches long. Taper the dough so that it is noticeable thicker at one end; use both hands to roll the dough into a point on the other end. Starting with the thicker end, coil the dough so that it forms a tight spiral. Wrap it around, then tuck the thin end under the loaf to keep it from unraveling. With the palms of your hands, press the top of the loaf lightly to flatten it slightly, then transfer it to one corner of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Place it diagonally across from the first loaf spaced about 2 inches so the loaves do not stick together as they bake. Cover with a towel and let proof for about 45 minutes at room temperature. The loaves will be visibly puffed and will increase in volume by at least half. Just before baking, beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush each loaf with the egg wash, then sprinkle the loaves with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Carefully pour about 1 cup of warm water into the pan in the oven. Immediately slide the baking sheet of dough onto the baking stone in the oven and turn the heat down to 400 degrees. Bake for 2 minutes, then quickly open the oven door and add another 1-cup warm water to the pan in the oven. Continue baking the bread for another 30 minutes. Check to see if it is browning too quickly. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees if necessary, then continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes. The bread is done when golden brown. Insert an instant-read thermometer into it, and if the internal temperature is 205 degrees to 210 degrees, the bread is done. Remove the bread from the oven and place the loaves on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting and storing.;