challah Archives - Splash of Sherri

funfetti challah with sprinkles

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Sherri

What do you get when you mix a ton of colorful rainbow sprinkles with challah dough? A funfetti challah with sprinkles that’s as delicious as it is beautiful, perfect for Pride Shabbat (or any Shabbat really!) and to keep the party going made even more delicious on Sunday when turned into French toast! When you slice into it, there’s a gorgeous watercolor effect that happens where the sprinkles melt into the dough. Don’t you just love sprinkles and the magic they create? Not to mention the smiles they bring!

I’d like to tell you I have a great story for why I added sprinkles to my challah like maybe my bubbie worked in a sprinkle factory, but I don’t. She did work in a bakery though. I was asked to make a video for a rainbow challah for Pride Shabbat, but it’s such a potchke (Yiddish meaning something that’s fussy). I suggested doing a demo for a funfetti challah with sprinkles instead. I knew most of the people viewing would be first time or novice bakers and I wanted them to have a successful experience they would feel proud of. Baking bread can be a little intimidating, and I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone.

That’s what inspired me to make this gorgeous watercolor challah for Pride and of course anytime you want to put a smile on someones face. It’s a fun and colorful way to grace your table. Fyi, the sprinkles I use are from Sweetapolita.com. They are crisp and crunchy, not waxy like store bought. Full disclosure, I’m a sprinkle snob! More about that later, in the meantime – Enjoy!

ingredients
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar plus a pinch for the yeast
¼ vegetable oil (I use extra light olive oil)
2 extra-large eggs* plus 1 additional egg yolk (large will be fine too)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3/8 cup rainbow sprinkles plus more for sprinkling on top
1 tablespoon fine kosher salt
egg wash
1 egg, splash of water, pinch of salt and pinch of sugar beaten together.

directions:
In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) add 1 cup warm water and yeast plus a pinch of sugar and stir. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes or until it bubbles. If your yeast doesn’t bloom (bubble), it is not fresh and your bread won’t rise. Start again if this happens.

Add the sugar, eggs, oil and salt and mix. Gradually add the flour 1 cup at a time and mix after each addition. After the addition of 3 ½ cups, add in the sprinkles. Then continue to add flour until the dough comes away from the sides and is no longer sticky. That’s when you know it has enough flour.

I mix the dough by hand and then when it’s time to knead it, I knead it right in the same bowl. That’s the way I learned and it keeps the mess down. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until the dough springs back when touched.

Add a little oil around the sides of the bowl and rub a little on the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for at least one hour or until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough to get the air bubbles out and divide into 2 pieces. Divide each piece into 3 pieces (you will have 6 pieces total) roll each piece into a snake-like shape. Braid 3 strands together to make one loaf and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush each challah with egg wash and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

30 minutes before ready to bake, set oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Before placing in the oven, brush with egg wash again and sprinkle the top with rainbow sprinkles.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. It’s done when golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom. You can also use a cake tester or bamboo stick to check for doneness.

*I always bake with extra-large eggs. My mother did and I find I get great results. Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, does as well and if it’s okay with Ina, it’s okay for me! If you only have large eggs, that will be just fine. Your recipe may take a bit less flour.

sweet potato challah – vegan, delicious, and super easy!

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Sherri

A couple of weeks ago I made a sweet potato challah that’s vegan, delicious and super easy! It came out totally amazing – not to mention pretty to look at! By now, you must know how much I love to bake, photograph, and of course eat challah – it’s my own personal trifecta. It came out so good, I couldn’t wait to make two more the very next day. The reason I made a vegan sweet potato challah to begin with was for a friend who just had a baby. She is a vegetarian and also doesn’t eat white sugar, her husband is vegan (so no eggs or honey for him). No sugar, no eggs, no honey – challenge accepted!

There are a few vegan challah recipes out there, but none seemed right to me. Plus, I knew I didn’t want it to taste or look like white bread. I really wanted it to have a good challah flavor, good chew, and a nice color. I remembered making a vegan sweet potato challah when I was in Israel with a wonderful baker named Rina, https://www.rinabarina.com/. It was a lovely golden color, a little sweet, had nice body, and was really delicious.

I tried using her recipe but I got all tangled up converting grams to ounces and was afraid if I didn’t do it right it would be a total loss. Instead I used a recipe I created last year for a local challah bake. It’s a simple and easy dough so starting with it made sense. I’ll have to share that one too another time. After a couple of tries, it was perfect!

Since I had to replace the sugar, I decided to use a combination of date syrup which is also known as silan and maple syrup for additional sweetness. Silan is made from dates and is rich and thick like molasses. It has a deep caramel and brown sugar flavor. On a side note, it is delicious mixed in coffee and drizzled over ice cream! It’s also loaded with so much natural goodness it deserves its own post and I will definitely get to work on that for a later date (get it? Later DATE!).

The flavor of the sweet potato is subtle but definitely a bonus. Not only does it add a beautiful golden color, it also adds some sweetness, and great nutrients. You’ll be surprised to find you don’t miss the eggs, sugar, or honey at all. What I’ve created is a really easy challah recipe with quick rise times. It’s nice to change things up a little on Friday night every now and then so try my vegan sweet potato challah and you’ll thank me! Oooh, I wonder how it would taste as French toast the next day, which I know is the opposite of vegan but a girl can dream! Enjoy!

ingredients
3 ½ to 4 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur)
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ cup cooked and pureed sweet potato (roasted ahead/instructions below)
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
¼ cup extra light olive oil
¼ cup Silan* (date syrup)
1/8 cup real maple syrup plus ½ teaspoon to add to yeast
sesame seeds (optional)

vegan “egg wash” for the top of the bread
2 tablespoons nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon olive oil
Pinch of salt

a couple of quick tips
Before measuring the date and maple syrup, spray the measuring cup with oil, the syrup will slide right out. This recipe makes one 2 pound challah or two 1 pound challahs. If you can, use a scale to weigh the dough so the strands are all about the same size. This is more a secret than a tip,0 but I like to take a little dough off as a baker’s treat and make a little challah roll for myself!

how to roast a sweet potato
Roast your sweet potato the day before, or a couple hours before you decide to make the challah so it has plenty of time to cool. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (a toaster oven works well too). Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Wash and scrub the potato, poke it with a few holes and wrap in foil. Place on the tray and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours depending on the size. It’s done when a fork pierces through easily. While you’re at it, roast a couple extra and save for a delicious snack or side dish. They keep well in the fridge for at least 3 to 4 days.

and now for the challah
In a 2 cup measuring cup (or bowl) add 1 cup warm water, yeast plus a ½ teaspoon of maple syrup and stir. Wait about 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to bloom (this is when it foams up).

In a large 5 quart bowl add 3 ½ cups flour and salt and whisk together. In a medium size bowl stir together the pureed sweet potato, oil, date syrup and maple syrup. Once the yeast has bloomed, add it to the sweet potato mixture.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. You can use a mixer with a dough hook but I like to mix it by hand. Mix together with a spoon when it becomes too difficult to mix, use your hands and then start to knead the dough.

I knead it right in the bowl, or you can turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides. If the dough is too wet, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until it comes together into a smooth ball. It should be soft but not sticky.

Add a little oil around the sides of the bowl and roll the dough ball around in it, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for at least one hour or until doubled in size.

A trick for keeping your counter clean when rolling out the dough is to place plastic wrap directly onto your countertop. Sprinkle a little flour and turn the dough out onto the counter. Press the air out to deflate the dough.

From here you can make a 3 or 4 strand challah. The 3 strand is the most common braid but I’ve been going with the 4 strand for a while.

3 strand single challah: divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each out into snake about 16” long. For 2 challahs divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each out into snake about 12” long. Or make a 4 strand single challah: divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each out into a snake about 14” long. For 2 challahs divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll out into a 10’ snake.

For each challah, line them up and pinch them together at the top then braid. Place the braided challahs onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and brush with the vegan egg wash. Let rise for 30 to 40 minutes. After it’s rising for about 15 minutes preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Before going into the oven, glaze challahs again and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Time will vary according to challah size. It is done when a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean or, the underside is slightly brown and sounds hollow when tapped

* You can find date syrup in health food stores, most kosher groceries, international markets and of course on Amazon. If you can’t find date syrup aka Silan, replace it with additional maple syrup.

Have you ever Heard of a Schlissel Challah?

Posted on April 14, 2018 by Sherri

Have you ever Heard of a Schlissel Challah? Me either! Let me give you the 4-1-1…

Last year I had the good fortune to meet a new friend named Yael and she introduced me to this unique challah. She is quite an amazing baker. I believe we met sometime around Passover and I started to follow her on Instagram, drooling at each and every photo of bread she created – every one of them a masterpiece. Check her out on https://www.babysbread.com/ and her Instagram @babys_bread and you’ll see what I mean. She was telling me about a key shaped challah she was making and even though it is a tradition dating back hundreds of years, I had never heard about it and was so intrigued.

Before I get to the recipe, here is some information I found online… The week after Passover it is customary to bake a key shaped challah also known as Schlissel Challah. The word schlissel means key in Yiddish and the significance is to bring “segulah for parnassah” or a blessing to your home. Some say the shape will bring financial blessing as well. I’m all in for that! There are a few people who still wrap a real key in aluminum foil and bake it right into the bread. When I asked my friend if she does this, she reminded me that’s a great way to break your teeth! There is so much more information online if you are interested, I have included a couple of places you may find interesting: http://kitchen-tested.com/2012/04/20/shlissel-challah-key-challah/ and https://www.kosher.com/lifestyle/shlissel-challahs-why-how-102
Today I made my first attempt and I have to say, I’m very proud of the results! Of course you can use your favorite challah dough recipe, but I have included one here which is very easy to handle, especially for the beginner.

It makes three 1 pound challahs or two larger ones. Tonight, one bread is for my Shabbos table, one is for a friend who could really use some good fortune and the other to a new friend I met last night. When you bake this challah, may your key open the doors to bring you and your family good fortune and many blessings. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
4 ½ to 5 ½ cups bread flour (I use King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill)
2 whole eggs (I use extra-large but large will be fine too)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup extra light olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Egg wash
1 egg
1 pinch salt
1 pinch of sugar
dash water

Directions
The temperature of the water used to bloom yeast should be warm like a baby’s bath. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar to the warm water. Mix it and set it aside for 5 or 10 minutes or until if foams up.

Into a large bowl, add 4 cups of bread flour and set aside.

I find it easier to use a large glass measuring cup for the wet ingredients so that I can pour it into the flour a little at a time. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, and oil and mix together well. Add the foamed yeast mixture and just stir once or twice. This helps to get the sugar off the bottom.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour some of the egg mixture mixing slowly. Keep adding the wet ingredients into the flour until it’s all incorporated. This will make a doughy slurry. Now add ½ cup flour at a time until you have dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl and holds its shape. At some point it will be easier to mix with your hands.

I like to knead the dough directly in the bowl but you can turn it out onto the counter if you like. Once it feels like nice plump dough, you are done. Pour a little oil in the bowl and put the dough back in.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. After it has doubled, punch the dough down and divide into 2 or 3 pieces depending on how many breads you want to make. This recipe makes approximately 3 one pound challahs.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Into a small bowl add the egg, salt, sugar and water and beat well. This is the egg wash.

I made two different key shapes. One with basic braids and the other with rolls. There are many tutorials online if you need help. Here is how I did it…

For the rolls: Depending on how big you want your challah, will determine how many rolls you use. For mine I made 8 larger 1 ¾ to 2 ounce challah rolls plus two 1 ounce rolls (for the teeth of the key). To make the rolls, take your small dough ball and roll it into a snake about ½” thick by 5” long, tie it into a little knot. Place them as shown below

For the braided key: I used 9 ounces of dough for the shaft of the key, 6 ounces of dough for the head of the key, and 2 ounces for the teeth. These are estimates for the breads I made. You can make them larger or smaller as you like. Then I added a smaller braid to the center, but you can leave it an open key if you like as well.

Brush with a little of the egg wash and set it aside for the second rising -about 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees with your rack in the center of the oven. Before they go into the oven, brush the challahs with egg wash one more time. Sprinkle with sesame seeds at this time if you like.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown. I like to set my timer for 15 minutes then turn the baking sheet and set it for another 10 minutes. You can use a cake tester or toothpick to make sure they are dry in the middle.

Enjoy!

My Friday Ritual… Challah for Shabbos

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Sherri

It seems fitting my first post would be a recipe for challah. I bake challah most every Friday. It is a ritual that has become such a special time for me and I look forward to it every week. I wake up early and while the coffee is brewing I mix all of the ingredients to make this delicious traditional bread for Shabbos. There is something wonderful and magical about baking bread especially for Shabbos. It’s a time for ending the week and renewal for the next. What better way to do both with a nice warm piece of homemade bread?

Most Fridays, I make a plain sweet challah. But every now and then I change it up a little. Today I decided to make it with cinnamon sugar and cranberries. You can see the cranberries wanting to bust out of the bread and scream “hello, look at me” and you can’t resist! It takes a lot of willpower not to want to tear a piece off straight from the oven. Sometimes I make myself a little treat and make a couple of small rolls so I can enjoy them with my lunch.

I started baking challah about 9 years ago soon after I moved to Ohio; in all honesty it was survival. There was no good challah here. Not even a good bakery. My sister Francine would ship me a box of them from New York and I would put them in the freezer. If I went back for a visit, the car ride home was usually unbearable as the aroma of the breads filled the car. It was loaded with as many challahs as the car could hold. Then one day, I was taking a Torah study class and the Rabbi’s wife taught us how to make challah. She didn’t really have a written recipe, so like I had done for so many years with my mother, I stood next to her and wrote everything down. When I got home, I typed it up for myself and the other girls. That night, my family couldn’t believe I baked bread! I have to be honest, I couldn’t believe it either.

It became one of those recipes everyone wanted a copy of. Then after sharing it with dozens of people, I lost my challah mojo. When they baked, they came out cracked on top and sometimes baked uneven. I thought it might be a problem with my oven so I had it checked – oven was fine. I emailed Marcy Goldman (a wonderful baker and cookbook author) who advised me as to why she thought this might be happening. She questioned my rise time and whether or not I changed any ingredients. I was letting it rise the same but had changed my yeast. I tried it again and still wasn’t the same. What I realized since is when something is successful, leave well enough alone. If you have a chance to pick up her book A Treasury of Jewish Baking, do so – it’s filled with amazing and delicious recipes!

Then I reached out to a good friend of mine (also named Marcy!) who also bakes challah every Friday night and are absolutely delicious! We baked together and it was bashert (Yiddish for meant to be). She was using Marcy Goldman’s sweet challah recipe. Needless to say, they came out perfectly! Thank you Marcy and Marcy – I have been using this recipe ever since and getting rave reviews for it. Sometimes change is a good thing!

So here is my Splash! on Marcy Goldman’s Sweet Raisin Challah

2 tablespoons dry yeast (Fleishman’s active dry yeast)
1 3/4 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks (at room temperature)
1/2 cup light olive oil (or other baking oil you choose)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 to 7 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups cranberries (optional)

egg wash: 1 egg, pinch of sugar, pinch of salt 1 teaspoon water (use in 2 steps)

In a 2 cup glass measuring cup or bowl add the warm water, yeast and sugar. Mix and then let stand for about 5 to 7 minutes for the yeast to bloom (becomes foamy on top).

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs (at room temperature), sugar, honey (see my favorite things page for a tip), oil, and salt. Mix well. Combine the two liquid mixtures. Add the flour one cup at a time and mix. Once it becomes too difficult to mix with a spoon, I start to use my hands and mix the dough until it is smooth and elastic. I knead the dough right in the bowl but you can turn it out onto a floured board and knead it that way. Add flour as needed and knead only until the dough feels smooth about 12 turns or so.

Place the dough into a large lightly oiled bowl. Place plastic wrap over the bowl cover it with a towel and let the dough rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a warm place. Check on it in 1 hour. If it has doubled in size it’s ready to braid.

Line a couple of sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside. Punch the dough down and then turn it out onto a floured surface. Split it in half or into 3 pieces. In the past, I would make 2 very large challahs from this recipe but have recently started making 3 out of it. Making one challah at a time, take one piece of dough and split that into thirds. Roll each into snakes approximately 10″ to 12″ long. Put the snakes next to one another, connect them on one end and start to braid them. Place the challah onto a cookie sheet. Do the same with the other two pieces of dough. Place them on the cookie sheets leaving plenty of room between them. Brush with the egg wash and put in a warm spot for about 30 to 45 minutes. They will almost double in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Brush the challahs again with the egg wash and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.

This recipe will make 3 nice size challahs or two very large ones. Enjoy!