An Old-School Challah Recipe
The Oma & Bella Cookbook is a collection of classic Jewish recipes from Eastern Europe, as told to Alexa Karolinski by her grandmother Regina (Oma) and her best friend Bella. Karolinski worked with Oma and Bella to translate “handfuls” into half cups and “platefuls” into servings, and she also made a film about the duo.
Illustration: Joana Avillez
From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: Oma & Bella
Challah
Makes 2 challot
4 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp (one package) active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
5 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp poppy or sesame seeds for garnish
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs with the yeast mixture, the sugar, the salt and the vegetable oil. Gradually add the flour and knead dough for 10 minutes. If it feels too sticky add a little bit of flour, if it does not feel elastic enough add a little bit of water. Massage the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Dab a little bit of oil onto the sides of the bowl with a paper towel to avoid the dough sticking to the sides once it rises. Cover the dough with a dishcloth and let it sit in a warm place for 2-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut the dough in half and set one of the halves aside. Divide the piece you are working with into 3 equal parts. Roll out each of the pieces lengthwise until they are each about 1 1/2 inches thick. Next, braid the three pieces of dough together, using water to make the ends stick together. Place the loaf on a greased baking tray. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. In a small bowl, combine 1 egg yolk with 1 whole egg and beat well. Using a pastry brush, dab the egg mixture on top of the challot. If desired, sprinkle either poppy or sesame seeds on top of the loaves.
Bake for 30-40 minutes. The challot should look nice and golden. If you’re not quite sure they’re done, tap the bottom of the loaves: a hollow sound will tell you that they are ready. It’s very important to be patient and let them cool before you rip a big chunk off and slather it with butter and honey; bread continues to bake even after it’s taken out of the oven.
Excerpted from Oma & Bella by Alexa Karolinksi (self-published, 2014).
If braiding is too much, here are some more straightforward loaves to bake:
Never made a loaf of bread before? Here’s a basic recipe to start with
