Parmesan Roasted Garlic Challah

I'd like to present to you, Parmesan Roasted Garlic Challah.  This recipe is enough for 1 medium size challah or two quite small challot.

3/4 c water plus 1 tbsp
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp honey
1 eggs + 1 egg for wash
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 c flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
5 - 7 garlic cloves
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 375.  Roast the garlic (it does not need to be peeled) turned in olive oil for 30 minutes or so.  Remove from oven, let cool, remove peels, and mash or blend.  (I did this on Thursday night).

Place very warm (but not hot) water in mixing bowl. Add yeast and honey, mixing with wooden spoon. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, mix the roasted garlic with the egg. Mix the flour, salt, and 2 tbsp of the parmesan cheese in large bowl and set aside. Add egg/garlic mixture and vegetable oil and mix with wood spoon. Add the flour mixture in two parts, adding extra water if dough is sticky.  Knead manually or with a stand mixture using the dough hook. Note: this dough is somewhat knobby from the parmesan cheese, but it bakes out.

Allow to rise several hours, until dough has doubled in size. Punch down the ball in the bowl and remove. Punch out all air bubbles. Braid in your preferred method. Allow to rise an additional 45-60 minutes. Top with an egg wash and sprinkle with mixture of 2 tsp parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

Bake at 350 for around 40 minutes. You can use a bread thermometer (180-200 degrees) or poke at the seams. I foiled the top of this loaf to prevent it from browning too much. Enjoy!

Pre-Shabbat Catastrophe! Oy!

Shabbat Shalom!

We went back to basics this weekend.  Shabbat Shalom!

Nutella Challah

The challah that inspired this blog into existence is Nutella Challah.  Nutella Challah is AMAZING.  It's the best.

Method

Use your favorite challah (feel free to use our Basic Challah recipe).  The Nutella is added during braiding. This method works best with short, somewhat fat three-stranded challot.  Otherwise, you will end up with a Challah the Size of Your Head.  Which is fine, really.  But, really big!

Stretch each strand. Using your fingertips, make a dent in the entire roll. Add the Nutella somewhat liberally using a spoon.

Pinch each strand together with your fingertips.  It's okay if a little squeezes out, but try to be as neat as possible.

Braid, keeping the seams downward (toward the inside of the braid).  I recommend using parchment paper instead on your pans when you bake Nutella Challah, otherwise, it may ooze all over your pan.

Top with Dry Roasted Hazelnuts if you like.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Top with foil and keep in oven if top browns too fast.  It's that easy!  Enjoy!!!!

(We sometimes make a Nutella and a plain or honey, that way everyone is happy!)

Experiment - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Challah

I'm not ready to call this a real recipe yet, just an experiment.  I'll update you when I finalize it!

I added a blob of peanut butter (Skippy chunky because that's what we had) about a heaping tablespoon full.  My guess is that, as much of a purist and naturalist as I am, I wouldn't want to use natural style peanut butter where you have to mix the oil together.  I put the dough back on the bread hook in the KitchenAid and kneaded away, adding flour until the dough seemed healthy and like regular dough.

Add 1/3 c. chocolate chips by hand.  We use Trader Joe's chocolate chips because they're pareve (non-dairy), and they're way more delicious than any others I've tried!

Cheddar Rolls

Introducing, pretty much the greatest rolls ever.  I mean it.  Ever.  In the history of everything... Cheddar Rolls!!!

Ingredients:
3/4 c very warm water plus about 1/4 c
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 egg
1/3 c vegetable oil
4 c flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
about 3/4 c roughly shredded cheddar

Mix water in mixing bowl.  Add yeast and honey, mixing lightly with wooden spoon.  After about 10 minutes, add egg and vegetable oil and mix with wood spoon.  Add the rest of the flour and salt and continue beating.  While the dough is beating, drizzle in the rest of the water and cheese alternatively.

The dough is ready when it sticks together as a ball and is not sticky to the touch when you poke your finger in (5-10 minutes of beating).  This dough is quite a bit stickier than my normal dough, so I turned it out on a bowl and added some more flour, kneading by hand.  Place in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Allow to rise at least one hour, preferrably more, until dough has doubled in size.  Punch down the ball in the bowl and remove.  Punch out all air bubbles.  Create rolls in small balls or knots.  Allow to rise 45 minutes. Top with paprika if you like.

    

Bake at 350 for around 30 minutes.  The rolls are done when you knock on them and they sound hollow.

Experiment - Apple Cinnamon Challah

This recipe is not quite ready yet.  It ended up a little doughy in the middle.  We'll update with a final recipe!

This amazing modification of our Basic Challah Recipe #1 with Honey was created by The Hazz. He also made the Basic recipe by hand instead of using the mixer. The verdict: he recommends the mixer because our basic recipe is somewhat tough. We used this for half the dough and made a basic honey with the other half.

The apple filling:
3 small apples
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

Separate the dough into three. Roll out each into small rectangles.

Add a small portion of the apples to each and roll up like a cinnamon roll method.

Braid.  Make sure to keep the seams downward.

Shabbat Shalom!

Repost: A Challah the Size of Your Head

This is a repost from my personal blog.

The Hazz and I have been on a kick lately to try out some new and fun challah recipes.  This sometimes entails trying them out on guests or making them on the wrong day of the week as experiments... Ever since enjoying Nutella crepes in Paris, we've had a great time eating Nutella... on pretty much everything.

Anyway, Nutella Challah was a MAJOR success.  And by major, I mean GIGANTIC.

Seriously, you'd think I would have realized that the loaf was too big before I put in the oven.  But once the Nutella had been spread in, there was no turning back.  I'm pretty sure that I could have made two loaves.  But, since we have Tot Shabbat at the synagogue tonight and don't need the challah for dinner, I just made one.... the size of my head.  No, really.  Look...

    

But luckily, since its not for a dinner, we could dive right in.  Score!!!  And even better, the dinner tonight is milchig, so we can come back home and eat more.  The Hazz's pumpkin challah is in the oven now.  More on that after Shabbat!

Shabbat Shalom!

Basic Challah Recipe #1 - Small Batch for Rolls

This is a modification of our Basic Challah Recipe #1 with Honey that's been half-sized except for eggs (which I use only one of the 3) for making a small batch of rolls.

3/4 c water
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 egg
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 c flour
1 1/4 tsp salt

Follow the Basic Challah Recipe #1 with Honey directions. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. I don't egg wash these. You can tell they are done when you knock on them with your finger and the feel hollow.

Great with soups and snowdays!!!!

Challah Rolls - sugar variation

These Challah Rolls were made using a recipe out of our synagogue's cookbook, Can't Believe it's Kosher! They are topped with: poppyseeds, sesame seeds, honey, and cinnamon sprinkle.

The recipe:

1 c warm water, divided
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 c sugar plus 1 tbsp, divided
4 c flour
3 eggs + 1 egg for wash
1/2 c oil
1 tsp salt

Place 1/2 c warm water in bowl with yeast and 1 tbsp sugar.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

Add 2 c flour, eggs, sugar, oil, and rest of water.  Mix well.  Add half the flour.  Mix and let stand for 10 minutes.

Allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size, punch down, rise for another hour (I'm not sure it's necessary to do the second rise... thoughts?).

From here, you can make a dozen to 18 rolls.  I roll out and tie in a not with the little nub on top.  Let rise again (the recipe says an hour, but I only do like 20 minutes because I'm usually running late before Shabbat).  Top with egg wash and any toppings you like.  I like a little cinnamon but it tends to make a very hard glaze.  I'm still working on a better method.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.
While I'm not crazy about this recipe a few days later (it gets a little tough), it freezes really well, and the rolls tastes wonderful with a little low temperature microwaving or an overnight thaw.  Plus, it helps The Hazz and I with portion control... we could easily eat two full challot meant for a dozen people in one evening.