Page 82 - NT 2022 Almanac

Recipe for Challah
In honour of Shavuot, why not bake your own challah loaf? This recipe makes two loaves.
You will need:
Mixing bowl Dough hook Food mixer
Tea towel, damp Baking tray Pastry brush Wire rack
4 tablespoons of caster sugar
1 tablespoon of salt 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
300 ml warm water 1 tablespoon of dried active baking yeast
3 eggs, slightly beaten
750 g plain flour
1 egg, beaten (for glazing)
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
1 Place the sugar, salt and oil in the mixing bowl and fix the dough hook into the mixer.
2 Add the warm water, and stir into the sugar and salt until they have dissolved. Stir in the dried active yeast and then set aside for a few minutes.
3 Mix in the slightly beaten eggs.
4 Add about 500 g of the flour to the yeast
mixture. Mix until the dough looks stringy.
5 Keep adding the rest of the flour until the dough has formed a ball on the dough hook. Let the hook continue to knead the dough for several minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
6 Turn the soft dough on to a lightly floured work surface and add the remaining flour. Knead the dough with your hands for about 8–10 minutes.
7 Use more vegetable oil to grease the mixing bowl, then place the dough into the bowl. Make sure the surface of the dough is completely coated with the oil. Cover the bowl with the damp tea towel and leave the dough to rise for about an hour.
8 Once it has risen, punch the air out of the dough and then leave it to rise again for about 45 minutes.
9 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4.
10 Divide the dough in half, then divide each half
into three equal parts and make two plaits.
11 Place both loaves on a greased baking tray. Cover with the tea towel and allow to rise until the loaves have doubled in size. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
12 Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. 81