Challah #recipe by @LeslieKarst

 

Since it’s the day before Thanksgiving, I figured anything I posted would be too late to use for the holiday, so this recipe is not meant for your big feast tomorrow. Nevertheless, this delicious bread would go splendidly with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce, if you do get the urge to do some baking today. 

 

Okay. So why, you may well ask, is a nice goy like me baking challah? Well, it’s because my wife wanted to learn how, and since she doesn’t tend to cook, she asked me to help her the first time around. Right. So why does Robin want to make challah? you might now ask.

Why, it’s because she’s decided to convert to Judaism and she wanted to be able to make challah for the Friday night Shabbat celebrations.

No, Robin is not religious (she’s in fact an atheist). Moreover, she was raised as a Christian by her United Methodist parents—though she rejected all of that at the tender age of five. But the more she’s learned about reform Judaism over the past many years, the more she’s been drawn to its particular moral and ethical bent, as well as its tradition of questioning and deep, thoughtful analysis.

Oy vey! I could write a lot more on this subject, but since this is a food blog, I think it’s time to get to the bread.

Challah, like its cousins brioche and Portuguese/Hawaiian sweet breads, is what’s called an “enriched” bread, in that it contains ingredients besides merely flour, water, yeast, and salt: in this case, eggs, oil, and sugar. (So-called “sweet” breads also use milk or cream, as well as butter and a lot more sugar—and sometimes even pineapple juice, in the case of Hawaiian sweet bread.)

This recipe will make one large or two small traditional braids, or two loaves in pans. (I made the mistake of using only one large pan, which ended up overflowing, so next time, I’ll split it into two loaves.)

Challah

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup warm water

2 tablespoons dry yeast

1/3 cup sugar

2 ¾ teaspoons salt

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup neutral vegetable oil

6 ½ – 7 ½ cups bread flour (plus extra for kneading)

Egg Wash/Topping

1 egg plus 1 yolk, beaten

1 tablespoon water

sesame or poppy seeds

 

Directions

Pour the warm water into a large bowl, then sprinkle the yeast, along with a pinch of sugar, into the water. Stir the water briefly, then let the mixture stand for two minutes to let the yeast swell and/or dissolve. 

 

Stir in the rest of the sugar and the salt, then stir in the 3 beaten eggs and the oil.

 

Add 6 cups of the flour and stir, until it makes a shaggy mass.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes (by hand or with a dough hook), adding more flour as needed, until it becomes a soft, elastic dough. (My culinary arts baking instructor liked to say that yeast bread dough should feel “smooth as a baby’s butt.”)

 

Lightly grease a large bowl (at least twice the size of the dough as it is now), form the dough into a ball, and set it in the bowl. If you live in a place where the air is dry, place the bowl inside a large plastic bag to ensure enough humidity.) Let the dough rise until doubled—45-60 minutes.

 

While the dough is doing its first rise, whisk the 1 egg and 1 yolk with the 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.

Gently punch the dough down.

For a traditional braided challah: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into three equal portions and form it into three ropes about 14 inches long. (Or for two braided challahs, cut it into six portions, for two separate braids.) Set the ropes on the parchment paper and braid them together on the baking sheet.

For loaf-style challah: Grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Divide the dough into four portions, and make each into a ball. Place two balls in each loaf pan, side-by-side. [You can see that I did three balls in one pan--a bad idea.]

 

Brush the dough with the egg wash, then sprinkle on sesame or poppy seeds. Wait 10 minutes, then do another coating of the egg wash. 

 

Let rise until almost flush with the top of the pan (if making loaves) or almost doubled (if making a braid)—about 45 minutes. [You’ll see from the photo that because my pan was too small, the dough rose too much, then fell a little, and there was no sign of the three separate balls once it had risen.]

 

While the bread is doing its second rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the bread until evenly browned, about 20-30 minutes for braided bread, and 35-45 minutes for loaves. [I had to bake my loaf for closer to an hour before the center was cooked through, since there was too much dough for the pan. If you’re in doubt about the bread being done, you can insert a knife into the center and pull a little of it out to see if it’s fully baked.]

 

Cool on a rack before slicing.

Shabbat shalom!

🌿 🍞 🌱

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Revisiting Dressing

I am so proud of my fellow Mystery Lovers' Kitchen authors. Every day I look forward to seeing the delicious Thanksgiving dish they have posted. Wouldn't it be fabulous to have a Mystery Lovers' Kitchen gathering with all these dishes? I want to try them all!

For the past few years I have been experimenting with dressing. Last Thanksgiving I made a sausage dressing, which was surprisingly the most flavorless of all. I had expected fabulous strong flavors but it was positively bland. This year I went online and looked through dressing recipes in search of inspiration. Oddly enough, what I found was a huge wave returning to the basics. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who though the basics were the best.

So I went back to basics, too. I made a few changes, though. I intentionally used few ingredients. I used Challah, which is a bread that I absolutely love. And instead of toasting the Challah, I sliced it and let it sit out for a day to get a little bit dry.

We're having a small Thanksgiving this year, so I intentionally made about half the dressing I usually fix. Dressing is always a big chore for me when I'm cooking everything else. So this year I prepared it ahead of time. I froze the dressing and popped it into the oven to try. It was delicious. So full of flavor. We're looking forward to having it for Thanksgiving. Obviously, if you need more, just double the recipe.

I fried the bacon in a very large pan, poured out the bacon grease and used the pan to melt the butter and cook the onions, so the little bits of bacon stuck to the pan came up and helped flavor the dish. If you cook your bacon using a different method, save a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease and add them to the pan with the butter.

How much chicken broth to use will depend on your bread. I prepared two cups of broth, but wound up using a little less than 1 1/2 cups. The idea is to moisten the bread. Start with about a cup. Stir it well and then see if you need more. If it gets too moist, add bread. If it's too dry, add broth.

Krista's Basic Dressing
10 servings

6-8 slices bacon
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces (1/2 loaf) Challah (7-8 cups)
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon
olive oil

Slice the Challah and let it air dry for about a day.

Fry the bacon in a large pan, set the cooked bacon aside, and drain the bacon grease from the pan. Add the butter, the chopped onions, the sliced celery, the sage, and thyme and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, using a serrated knife, slice the Challah into 1/2 inch chunks. Crumble the bacon into the onion mixture. At this point I added a little pepper and salt. Remove from burner and add the bread. If your pan isn't big enough, use a large bowl.

Stir the Better Than Bouillon into the broth. Pour half of the broth mixture over the bread and mix well. Add as much more liquid as you need without making it soggy.

Use the olive oil to grease a cupcake pan. Form the dressing into 2-3 inch balls, and place them in it. If you are making it in advance, freeze the cupcake pan until they are firm enough to wrap separately in wax paper and place in a freezer bag.

Bake frozen dressing balls at 400 for 30 minutes.

Mmm, bacon!

1 cup celery

The sage and thyme add so much flavor!

10 servings

I love these single serving dressing balls!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Coming November 27th!

Berry Bread Pudding

I'm often inspired by photos and recipes that I see somewhere.  I had some raspberries in the freezer and some blueberries waiting to be used, so when I saw a recipe for bread pudding, eureka! It all came together.

My grocery store hides the Challah. Just saying—in case you can't find this wonderful bread at your grocery store. Okay, they don't actually hide it. To keep it fresh, they keep it in the freezer in the bakery section. All I have to do is ask for it. But it took me years to figure that out. Sometimes it was on the shelf, but most often it was not. So don't be afraid to ask if they have any!

Note that I used both fresh and frozen berries! How daring was that? But the good news is that you can use either one. Whatever you have on hand. You do not have to thaw the fruit first if it is frozen.

The vanilla sauce is totally decadent. But if you're having a party, it's the way to go!

Berry Bread Pudding

1 loaf of Challah
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 cups 2%milk
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
roughly 2-3 cups of berries

In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the cream and milk and whisk. Add the salt and sugar and whisk again. Tear the Challah into bite-sized pieces and place in the milk mixture. Tamp them down a little bit with a spoon so they all soak. Let them stand for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Butter a 9x13 pan. Pour about 3/4 of the bread mixture into the pan and scatter the fruit over top. Add the rest of the Challah and liquid over the top.

Bake 35-40 minutes at 350. Turn the heat down to 275 and bake another 10 minutes until the sides  bubble and the center doesn't jiggle or look under-baked.

Vanilla Sauce

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a smallish pot. Add the flour and whisk into the butter. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring most of the time. When it begins to develop an aroma, add the cream, salt, and sugar. Turn the heat up slightly and cook at a simmer until it gets thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Serve hot over the Berry Bread Pudding.

Hurry Up French Toast

A few months ago, I saw a recipe for French toast made with challah and peaches. It was an overnight recipe but different in that the challah was sliced about 3/4 of the way through and peaches were inserted between the slices. Then it baked like a loaf.

Of course, I can't find it. I was about to give it a try on my own but started thinking about baking versus cooking in oil. Doesn't the oil give it a little something special? And then I wondered, where does make ahead French toast that is baked cross the line into bread pudding?

While I did want to make it ahead of time, I decided I really wanted to cook it in a skillet with oil.

And while that's not anything new, I decided it's not such a bad idea. How many times have you had to throw together a quick breakfast so someone could get on the road? Or because your household was in a hurry that morning? While French toast isn't the most time consuming thing, by doing some of it the night before, I was ready to hit the stove as soon as I had my first cup of tea in hand in the morning.

There's nothing tricky about this, except to keep an eye on the pan and make sure your heat isn't too high. I had bought frozen peaches for the recipe I couldn't find, so I made them half-way the night before, too. An easy breakfast treat!

Hurry Up French Toast

1 loaf of challah
3 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
vegetable oil

The night before:

Slice the challah in 3/4 to 1-inch thick slices. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, and cinnamon. Lay the slices in a shallow pan, just big enough to accommodate them. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Be sure everything is covered. In a few minutes, most of the liquid should be soaked up. Cover and refrigerate.

In the morning:

Pour vegetable oil into a pan at medium heat. When hot, lay slices in pan and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side. Keep an eye on them in case you need to lower the heat. Top with peaches or maple syrup, or both!

Peaches for Hurry Up French Toast

1 bag thawed frozen peaches
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 -2/3 cup water

The night before:

Swirl everything together in a pot. Cover and refrigerate.

In the morning:

Pop the pot on high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer until ready to serve.

Store in the fridge the night before.

The peaches are already in the pot, just waiting for you to warm them up.

In the morning, they're ready to go into the pan.

Without peaches. They're just as good with maple syrup!

And look at this! You can also make it a dessert. One slice of French toast, topped with ice cream, topped with peaches and fresh blueberries. Yum!

Eggnog French Toast

This is Horizon's fault. It's their recipe. I know what you're thinking - they didn't force me to make this recipe. Actually they did. It's on the side of their Eggnog container and every time I opened the refrigerator, there it was in front of me: Eggnog French Toast. Do you know how many times I opened the fridge over Thanksgiving?

Proof!

They say that if someone sees something over and over 6, 7, or 8 times (depending on the study you read), it will be scorched on their tiny little grey cells. By the time Thanksgiving was over, I knew I would be making Eggnog French Toast.

To be fair, their recipe is actually for Eggnog French Toast Waffles. I'm sure that's every bit as good.

Just for you, I tried a couple of different things. First I made it with ordinary loaf bread. It was okay. Then, because I didn't have orange peel, I added 1/2 teaspoon of Grand Marnier and used thick slices of Challah. The Grand Marnier and Challah combination won. In spite of still being full from our Thanksgiving feast, we gobbled it up like little piggies.

It wasn't even close. The texture and thickness of the Challah made for far superior French toast. And the Grand Marnier, while barely there, added just the little extra touch of flavor that it needed. It passed everyone's inspection with high marks.

Shh. Don't tell. It's soooo easy! I love that all the flavor is already in the "milk." That saves time when it's a busy morning but you need something special for guests. This recipe is super easy to divide in thirds. I made 2/3 of the recipe, enough for four slices and it's a really good thing I didn't make more because we would have eaten them! You could even make 1/3 of the recipe for a two slice midnight snack. Maybe after Santa has assembled all the toys and put them under the tree?

Eggnog French Toast

based on Horizon's recipe

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup eggnog
3 eggs
pinch salt
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier (or 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest )
6 thick slices Challah
canola or sunflower oil
powdered sugar
maple syrup

Melt the butter and set aside.  Whisk together the eggnog, eggs, salt, Grand Marnier, and cooled butter. Place the bread slices in the eggnog mixture and allow each side to soak it up. Heat the pan to medium and add the oil. Cook each slice until golden on both sides, adding oil as necessary. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup and/or fresh fruit.

Whisk everything. So easy!

Did you hear that MURDER MOST HOWL is out? Didn't get a copy yet? I'll be choosing two winners from the people who leave comments. Your choice, MURDER MOST HOWL or THE DIVA STEALS A CHOCOLATE KISS. Don't forget to leave your email address so I can notify you!

Krista's Double Chocolate Bourbon Bread Pudding

I hate bread pudding. Seriously. It's just one of those desserts that I rarely like. I will confess to gobbling it up when a friend insisted we try a special bread pudding at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was fabulous. But most of the time - meh.

So it was very odd when I was overcome by the notion of making a chocolate bread pudding recipe for THE DIVA STEALS A CHOCOLATE KISS. I have no idea what possessed me. But I did it. And it was so good that I worried that it wasn't a real bread pudding!

Consequently, I enlisted the aid of two friends who love bread pudding. I set it before them and asked - is this bread pudding? Pretty pathetic, huh? They confirmed that not only was it great but that it was bread pudding. So if you happen to have people in your life who love chocolate but aren't enthusiastic about bread pudding, this recipe might change their minds.

You can serve it with whipped cream, but honestly, it's so addictive that it's very tasty plain.

Krista's Double Chocolate Bourbon Bread Pudding

9x13 baking dish
butter for greasing

1 loaf Challah

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Penzeys)
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 cups milk (can use nonfat)
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons bourbon (1 airline size bottle)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Callebaut)

1. Tear the Challah into pieces and place in a large bowl.

2. Combine the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt and whisk together. Stir in the heavy cream and the  milk. In another bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Whisk them into the milk mixture. Add the bourbon, give a final stir with the whisk and pour 1/2 of it over the bread. Turn the bread until it is all coated. Set aside for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease the pan. Pour the bread into the pan along with any liquid. Spread the bread in the pan. Scatter the chocolate chips over the bread. Pour the remaining milk mixture over top and bake for 20 minutes.

4. Turn the heat down to 275 and bake another 10 minutes or until the middle is firm and a cake tester comes out clean.

Tear up one loaf of Challah.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips.