| I found this recipe in a King Arthur Flour ad a few years ago.
It's fairly easy and the bread is great! Hope it's what you're
looking for!
EGG BREAD "CHALE"
Yield: 3 loaves
2 cups water
6 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 eggs (reserve 1 egg yolk)
2 packages active dry yeast
6 1/2 to 7 cups all purpose enriched flour
Combine water and shortening in saucepan and heat until
lukewarm. Pour into mixing bowl, add sugar, salt,
eggs, yeast and 2 cups flour and beat for 2 minutes
with electric beater. Then, stirring by hand,
gradually add balance of flour, until the dough pulls
away from the sides of the bowl.
Now place the dough on floured board, knead for 6 to 7
minutes, let rise in greased bowl until double in bulk,
punch down and divide into three parts. Divide each
part into three more parts and roll each into a rope.
Now braid the three ropes into a loaf.
Place loaves in three greased bread pans, brush top of
loaves with mixture of reserved egg yolk, one
tablespoon water and a dash of salt, let rise until
double in bulk, and bake in preheated 400 degree oven
for 35 to 40 minutes.
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| This recipe will make four big loaves; for just the two of us, I usually make
1/4 the recipe and make two small loaves.
Melt one stick of butter or margarine.
Combine two packages of yeast and 2 c warm water.
Combine in a large bowl (or your food processor):
(3 t salt - I don't use salt)
1/2 c sugar (this is pretty sweet, I use a bit less)
the melted butter/margarine
2 beaten eggs
1 egg yolk (save the white for glazing)
Add yeast mixture to butter/margarine mixture.
Add 7 c flour one at a time (I use unbleached flour).
Knead about five minutes (food processor makes short work of this job).
Place in oiled bowl, turning once.
Cover and let rise until doubled.
Punch down.
Shape into loaves:
For this much dough, I usually divide it into 16 pieces, roll them
into ropes, and make four round braids of four ropes each. You can
also coil them up for Rosh Hashanah, or roll them up with cinnamon
and raisins inside like a jelly roll.
Brush the loaves with the reserved egg white.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Let rise until double.
Bake at 350 oF for about 1/2 hour. It will take a bit longer than this if
you made coils instead of braids; they are done when they sound
hollow when tapped.
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| I have trouble storing Challah on the counter - we have two kitties
who will go to a lot of trouble to get into it. So, I make my
challah round. I make the braid as usual, then fit it into a
9" diameter round cake pan. It cooks up nicely - the timing is
the same as for straight challah. When it's cooled, the bread
fits nicely into my covered cake plate. This shape is also
easier to transport, if you're bringing a challah somewhere for
a gift or a dinner contribution. You can wrap it up in the pan
if you use one of those disposible pans and then you don't have
to worry about breaking it on the way.
--Louise
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| What gives challah its particular taste and color is the addition
of saffron threads. Not TOO much, because it will give a medicinal
flavor, but just a good pinch.
Also, I usually use an egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of water
to brush on top.
Terry
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