If you have been following my blog for any length of time you will know that we celebrate Shabbat weekly! Shabbat is different than going to church on Sunday like Christians are used to, Shabbat is taking G-d's Word, the Torah, literally and observing the Sabbath (Shabbat). Now, according to the Rabbi's you basically are not allowed to do anything....except study God's Word, pray and eat. So...this means we get the house really clean before sundown Friday night, make sure the cooking is done for the next day and any baking that needs to be done. I believe that is why the Challah recipe makes so many loaves...to feed family and friends through three meals and snack times too.
Whatever the reason, Challah is one of my favorite breads! Give it a try sometime...I have a feeling that you will love it whether you celebrate Shabbat or not! :)
Ingredients:
- 9 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
- 11 cups sifted white flour
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 1/4 cups canola oil
- 6-7 cups warm water
- 3.5 ounces (100 grams) fresh yeast
Preparation:
1. Place the oil, 2 cups of warm water, sugar and salt into the mixing bowl. Add 5 cups of each kind of flour to this and stir a bit.
2. In another small bowl, put the yeast together with 2 T. of sugar, and add 1 1/2 cups of warm water.
3. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to start activating. When it is bubbling and foamy, add it to the mixing bowl and start to mix the dough.
4. Add in another 3 cups of flour, either kind, and another cup of water. Mix and then turn off the mixer and allow the dough to start to rise for 10 minutes.
5. Mix again and add all the rest of the ingredients slowly, one cup at a time, until you reach a smooth, non-sticky consistency of dough. If the dough sticks too much to the sides of the bowl, add in a bit more oil.
6. After the dough is thoroughly prepared, grease a large (it will rise a lot) bowl with a fine layer of oil. Turn out the dough into this bowl and turn several times so that the dough will be greased lightly on all sides.
7. Cover the bowl with a large plastic garbage bag and allow it to rise for one hour before punching down and shaping.
8. Alternatively, place the unrisen dough in the large garbage bag, with all the air taken out and knotted on top of the bag, and placed in the fridge overnight to be shaped early the next morning.
9. This dough will shape and handle the same way the pure white one did and comes out delicious when it is baked. It is an especially tasty treat when cut into slices, toasted, and then served spread with a bit of butter and sprinkled with some cinnamon and sugar on top.
YIELDS: 10 medium-sized challahs
2 comments:
Your Challah turned out great. Just the right amount of brown on the top and side. Wow. I am not a good baker but I could give it a try. I doubt mine will turn out as great as yours. Following you via GFC, thanks for stopping by The Steady Hand.
This sounds delicious and I love that the recipe uses whole wheat along with white flour. I think I have to try out this recipe. Thanks!
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