A Story and a Recipe

[gnomi]

Back around Rosh Hashannah, a couple of different folks on my friends list were talking about challah and making challah, and I said that I had learned how to make challah from lcmlc and that I would type up and post the recipe when I had a chance.

But then I looked in my recipe box and, while I did have a piece of paper that said "Challah" at the top, it was clearly written at a time during which I was making challah much more regularly, because it had an ingredients list and cooking temperature and time, but nothing else. I despaired of posting the recipe any time soon, because lcmlc and Abba were in Maryland and so she wasn't going to be able to recreate the recipe easily.

But then tonight I was researching my d'var Torah, and I needed to look something up in a book that clearly I hadn't pulled off the shelf in a while. Why clearly? Because tucked into the back of the book was a piece of notebook paper that on one side had Aunt Gloria's Lasagna recipe and on the other side was... the challah recipe in full.

And so I bring you:

lcmlc's Challah Recipe

Combine 1/2 c. oil, 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tbsp salt, 1/2 c. cold water, and 1 c boiling water.

Dissolve 3 packages yeast in 1/3 c. warm water, and add 1 tsp sugar. Let sit five minutes.

Beat 4 eggs slightly.

Combine all wet ingredients.

Add four cups of flour slowly while mixing. Add remaining four cups by hand one at a time.

Turn onto lightly floured surface. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rest 10-15 minutes.

Knead 8-12 minutes, sprinkling more flour onto surface of dough when necessary to prevent stickiness. Knead until surface is smooth and satiny and bubbles form at the surface.

Place in lightly oiled bowl. Turn to oil top of dough. Cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk (1-2 hours) or in refrigerator overnight. Punch down. (Dough may be frozen at this point in loaf-sized portions. Keeps 3-4 weeks in freezer). Turn out onto floured surface and divide into four portions for loaves. Braid or otherwise form loaves as desired.

Spray pans with Pam (or functional equivalent) and place loaves on tray. Let rise one hour. Glaze with 1 beaten egg.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown.

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Narf! Red Sox Narf!

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

I know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow *G*! Thank you for posting this - I am going to follow the directions exactly and hopefully this Friday, the bread on my table will be good instead of having the consistency of a hockey puck.

[xochitl42.livejournal.com]

Seriously? YUM. Thank you for posting this!

[eal.livejournal.com]

And this is how we tell that Marcie is still sick. You divide into four portions and then, presumably, one divides each portion into three for braiding should that be your desire, right?

Or am I missing something?

(and yes, I'm considering it even though this would not be the traditional bread of my people -- though it beats me what that would be ;))

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

You're exactly right. You could, theoretically, divide it into 12 small chunks to begin with, but I always find it easier to do 4 and then to take 3 from each 1/4 of the whole.

[anisosynchronic.livejournal.com]

The maternal grandmother of someone I went to Hebrew school with, used to make wonderful challah without doing any measurement whatsoever. She knew that she was declining mentally when she started losing her ability to make challah. She had never used measuring equipment or written any of it down...

[aunt-becca.livejournal.com]

do I take challah with this recipe? I can't wait to make it!!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

There seems to be a difference of opinion on that. Some say you should take challah but not make a bracha. Others say you don't even need to take challah with the amount of flour in it.

My advice? Ask your LHA (local halachic authority).

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks! I'm going to try it!