Each national cuisine can proudly boast a recipe for traditional pastries, and not one. But how many grades of bread can you list besides the usual Borodino, ciabatta or baguette? Meanwhile, in every culture it is baked in its own way.
Traditional Jewish challah bread, the recipe of which we offer you, is prepared on Saturdays and holidays. Its name comes from the commandments of the sacred Torah. Beautiful, rich, fragrant and tasty - all this about him. Do you want to feel involved in an ancient culture and enjoy the great taste of pastries? Then go to the kitchen. There is nothing complicated in cooking.
What products will be required?
Dairy products of any kind are generally not used to make bread called challah. Jewish (traditional) recipe is based on a large number of fresh eggs, top-quality white flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar. In our case, it is a bit modernized.
So, in order to cook three big pigtails for a family or a group of friends, you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 chicken eggs (medium size);
- 230 ml of light olive oil;
- 2 tbsp. l dry yeast;
- 1 tbsp. l Sahara;
- 600 ml of warm water;
- 1 tbsp. l salt
- 1000 g of sifted white flour;
- 200 g of honey.
The dough from which the real challah is prepared (the recipe with a photo, see further in the text) requires a lot of space, since it greatly increases in volume during the separation process. Therefore, prepare a large bowl in advance. In addition, you will need one egg for lubrication, 1 tbsp. l honey, 1 tsp olive oil.
Knead the dough
Pour half the amount of warm water indicated in the ingredients into the bowl. Then add sugar and yeast. Stir, but do not try to bring to a uniform consistency, the formation of lumps at this stage is normal. Leave the mixture for 15 minutes before continuing on.
After the time is right, add the remaining water, olive oil, eggs, honey and salt to the bowl. Mix well and start adding flour in batches. You can pour one or two cups at a time. Gently mix the ingredients and watch carefully. As soon as the dough begins to "gather" in a lump, reduce the amount of flour to be added. You may not need the full amount indicated in the ingredients, or you will need a little more.
Hala - bread, the recipe of which is known to any Jewish housewife, but do not look for the amount of products indicated in the pharmacy. You must independently understand the readiness of the test by its soft and elastic (not sticky) structure.
About Jewish traditions
Cover the bowl with a damp textile towel or cling film and place in a warm place. In about an hour and a half, the dough will double in volume and will be ready to go.
If you are preparing a real challah, a recipe (Jewish) with a photo of which we offer, then the faithful observe a certain tradition. After the dough has risen, you need to knead the dough, making it in one sharp movement. Then let stand for 10 minutes. And only after that the mitzvah is nipped off, so they call a small piece of dough, which is burned at the very end of the bread preparation. Initially, this was done for the offering to the Temple.
Weave braids
The finished dough must be divided into three equal parts, each of them will be a separate challah. If there is a lot of such quantity for you, then use not all, and from the rest of the dough, make challah rolls. The recipe is so versatile that it can be used in many ways. It is also tasty and unusual, children really like it.
Roll each of the three parts of the dough in a direction along and cut into three more equal strands. Now they are ready for twisting. Squeeze the harnesses on one side together and start weaving. This is not difficult, and anyone who has ever braided braids will cope with this - just make repeated movements to intersect the outer harnesses above the middle one.
Start on the right side, pull the strip of dough in the middle and cover it with the left, and then repeat the cycle from the beginning. To make the challah look even and beautiful, season the ends inside, under the bread.
Make buns
Twisting challah into rolls rolls is somewhat easier. Cut a piece of dough into four equal parts and roll each of them. Tuck the sides slightly inward, as shown in the photo, this will prevent the rolls from unfolding during baking. Then twist the tourniquet with a snail. Tuck the "tail" of the dough inward, it will be more beautiful.
Bake challah
The traditional Jewish challah, the recipe of which you see, must rise again before the baking process. To do this, carefully roll the rolls and the braid onto a greased baking sheet. Leave enough space for each, as they will greatly increase in size. Just before putting the challah in the oven, you need to grease its surface with a mixture of eggs, honey and olive oil. This will make the crust crispy and give it a beautiful golden color. At the same stage, very often the dough is sprinkled with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, but this is a matter of taste.
Challah should be baked for about 45 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 190-200 degrees. For small buns, it will take about half the time. Cool the bread gradually.
How to serve challah
Hala - a traditional recipe known since time immemorial. Fragrant and lush bread is usually served at the festive table. He will be in good company with various vegetable or sweet pastas, hummus. Try, for example, a healthy and tasty spinach appetizer.
It’s easy to cook. Fry a couple tablespoons of olive oil, diced onions, 1-2 cloves of garlic and add chopped spinach (one medium bunch). Bring the greens to softness, and then transfer to a food processor, add salt and mayonnaise (best homemade), bring the mixture to a uniform consistency. Spread challah slices with spinach paste and enjoy great taste.
In some Jewish communities, it is customary to bake challah a week after Passover (the main Jewish holiday). It is made in the form of a conventional key or wrapped in a special wrapper. Such bread is considered a good sign and tradition in the financial sector. In baking challah, they can put a real key, for example, from the house.