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Forum
-> Recipe Collection
-> Challah and Breads
Do you bake Challah?
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| I always bake my own |
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35% |
[ 26 ] |
| I always buy it |
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12% |
[ 9 ] |
| I only buy when I'm very busy |
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27% |
[ 20 ] |
| I bake occasionally buy usually buy |
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25% |
[ 19 ] |
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| Total Votes : 74 |
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elisecohen
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 Wed, Dec 07 2005, 12:20 pm
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Willow, the recipe in the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book is the BEST, especially if you add a little wheat gluten with the whole wheat flour. In fact, if you prefer whole wheat, it's a great book--only whole grain recipes, no refined flours at all. And it even has diagrams on making a "1-braid" challah, to make small ones. The basic recipe in that book is a 6 C (actually as you knead in, I find it takes about 7-8 C) of flour one.
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613
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Wed, Dec 07 2005, 1:54 pm
I bake every few weeks and freeze. my dh would have a cow (wow, what an "old school" term) if I bought challah! I never make enough for a bracha, though, cuz I don't have enuf room in my freezer.
this past batch I forgot the salt... and the batch was better than usual!!! anyone know why?
after egging, I sprinkle the top of my challos w/ a sugar/flour/oil mixture- YUM!
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timeout
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Wed, Dec 07 2005, 2:23 pm
In my house my husband bakes the Challah but I make the Brocha (usually at 3AM when teh dough is ready) 
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TzenaRena
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Wed, Dec 07 2005, 2:24 pm
| 613 wrote: | I bake every few weeks and freeze. my dh would have a cow (wow, what an "old school" term) if I bought challah! I never make enough for a bracha, though, cuz I don't have enuf room in my freezer.
this past batch I forgot the salt... and the batch was better than usual!!! anyone know why?
after egging, I sprinkle the top of my challos w/ a sugar/flour/oil mixture- YUM! |
I've seen one challah recipe that says to dig under the flour to put the salt, because the yeast action gets hampered or even cancelled by too much salt. I.e. keep the salt away from the yeast. If you put in too much salt the challah doesn't rise well.
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uandme
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Wed, Dec 07 2005, 9:20 pm
like queen, I usually bake 5lbs+ and freeze about 10 loaves (and keep a few fresh for that week). then I am set for several weeks, depending on # of guests, etc.
otherwise I buy too if the freezer is empty of my own and I haven't taken the time to do it.
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Pickle Lady
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Wed, Dec 07 2005, 9:34 pm
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I make the recipe out of the kosher palette. Its a great recipe and it always comes out so yummy. What I do is freeze the dough braided and then bake it erev shabbos when I want it. It takes up so much less room when its just dough and I think it tastes way better than frozen baked challah.
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lucky
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 12:40 am
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I do 6 lbs at a time, and it is only enough for 2-3 weeks. I reheat the challos from the freezer on Erev Shabbos.
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hadasa
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 4:06 am
There's no option in the poll for "both"!
I make the dough Thursday night or early Friday morning. If I make it at night, I let it rise in the fridge (Yup, it does!). I shape & bake it on Friday and leave some dough for the kids to braid when they come home. But we usually have a lot of people, so I also buy a few just in case. Whatever doesn't get eaten becomes French toast, breadcrumbs, Challah Kugel....or green mold 
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chen
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 10:25 am
| hadasa wrote: | | Whatever doesn't get eaten becomes ....or green mold |
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shanie5
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 11:59 am
willow- the recipe came from an excellent baker here- so I guess its 'tried and true' - just not by me 
613- its strange that your challah came out better. even tho you should keep the salt away from the yeast, you should not leave it out cuz it supposed to help the yeast somehow too. everything ive heard/read about this topic says you can lessen the salt, but not to remove it entirely. was there some other ingredient that may have contained salt?
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TzenaRena
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 12:13 pm
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613 could you pleeeease tell us your egg-glaze recipe? it sounds good!
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elisecohen
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 1:48 pm
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Shanie5, the salt helps slow down the yeast's fermentation. However if you mix it directly with the yeast it can kill the yeast, leaving you with a heavy, "leaden" loaf. That's why recipes always call for it to be added with the flour or mixed in with other ingredients. If you don't add it at all, the yeast fermentation can happen too quickly, and the loaf also won't rise correctly, leaving you with a soggy, flat or bubbly loaf.
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shira
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 2:12 pm
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Why do many recipies tell you to let dough rise and then punch it down and allow to rise again? What do you gain from doing this?
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TzenaRena
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 2:38 pm
| elisecohen wrote: | | Shanie5, the salt helps slow down the yeast's fermentation. However if you mix it directly with the yeast it can kill the yeast, leaving you with a heavy, "leaden" loaf. That's why recipes always call for it to be added with the flour or mixed in with other ingredients. If you don't add it at all, the yeast fermentation can happen too quickly, and the loaf also won't rise correctly, leaving you with a soggy, flat or bubbly loaf. |
elise, thanks for the science lesson 
Shira, I think the texture is more fluffy, and soft - less dense and OTOH less coarse, or grainy- with all these multiple risings and punchings I let rise once, for an hour or more if I have time, till double, then shape, and do a no-no. I skip  the second rising! Putting it into the warm oven does that, so I waste no more time on that. (I'm sure my challah's texture isn't as smooth as others get it, but we like it this way too!) I've read a trick. Bake on 400 Farenheit for 10-20 min.(not sure exactly), then lower temp. to 350. If you do that it doesn't need the last rising(after the shaping and egging).
Hey, nobody take my word for any of this. it's experimenting alright.
I have to say though, that everyone loves my challah b'h. I guess the experiments work!
Last edited by TzenaRena on Thu, Dec 08 2005, 2:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
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1stimer
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Thu, Dec 08 2005, 2:43 pm
I used to bake challas and freeze but now our freezer isn't working (the food gets very very icy - so challas end up being soggy) so I buy.
Truth is I just realised I could just freeze the dough...
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hila
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Wed, Dec 14 2005, 9:32 am
I bake most of the time. the kids complain when I dont. But I bake every 2-3 weeks and freeze.
And I have this "thing" about the mitzva of taking challa. to me making bread is not good enough, so I always make at least 2kg flour so I can take challa with a bracha.
I feel we should always remember the "forgotten" mitzvot like this. When you buy in the store you dont have the zchut of the bracha of challa.
However the other "forgotten " mitzva is kashering meat. I never did it and regret that but I am not prepared to have the mess in the house. It is so much easier to get kashered meat from teh supermarket or butcher. (or chicken for those who dont do red meat)
It feels so good to make challot and the amazing aroma that fills the house on friday is worth the extra effort and mess.
I use the "spice and Spirit" recipe - first one, and use the 70% whole wheat flour available here in Israel (Duvdevan)
Hila
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613
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Wed, Dec 14 2005, 3:37 pm
| SaraYehudis wrote: | | 613 could you pleeeease tell us your egg-glaze recipe? it sounds good! |
sorry it took so long, I wasn't keeping up on this thread.
I'll give you the small quantities that I use (good for about 2 challos + 4 rolls), you can double it, triple it....whatever
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
mix those up, then add
1 tsp. oil
and use your fingers to make the mixture crumbly
you may need to add more of the ingredients to get the crumbly consistency. then just sprinkle it on top of the challos after you egg them.
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proudmom
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Wed, Dec 14 2005, 3:57 pm
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I bake challah for shabbos, if I am in a big rush then I would buy, but I prefer to bake it. It taste so much better
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lucky
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Thu, Dec 15 2005, 10:36 am
I always used to hear from a very well meaning SIL, that if I would only understand the great mitzva of challah, then I would bake them myself.(My MIL used to send me every week) Little did she know that I had Mono and CFS and was happy if the kids had what to eat. But her comments bothered me terribly.
Now I B"H bake challos every second week.
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