Guest Post: Root Beer Challah

It's The Hazz's first guest post!  Who is the Hazz, you might ask?  Well, he's my dashing husband, kneading expert, and challah-tasting-critic (although he tends to say "This might be the best challah you've ever made" every week). 

With Amanda out of town for the weekend staffing a Kadima convention, The Hazz decided to experiment with a new recipe: Root Beer Challah! After searching for several recipes for root beer bread online, I decided on the one found on root-beer.org. In addition to root beer, it also includes whole wheat flour (a little less than half), shortening* {see footnote} and molasses. Using these added ingredients, I meticulously estimated the proper amount of each to fit the proportions of Amanda's half-batch recipe.

Using my favorite brand of root beer: Sprecher, I mixed exactly (more or less) two thirds of the bottle with the shortening and heated the mixture in the microwave to precisely the approximate temperature Amanda recommends. I added the salt which created a nice sparkling effect when it hit the root beer--those who enjoyed kitchen chemistry experiments as children will appreciate this--followed by the molasses which, true the cliché, is rather slow. Next came the yeast, the oil, the flour, the stand-mixing and the kneading.

I let the dough rise twice, just because I had heard it would have a nice effect. I made one loaf into a three braid and then attempted several times to make a four braid, failing each time even more than the last (not for any lack of proper instruction from the challah blog, just my own ineptness) before settling for two three braids. I placed the loaves in the oven and baked them at 350 for about 45 minutes precisely.

The result was rather tasty. There was only a modest taste of root beer but distinct nonetheless. The softness also lasted several days which was nice.


If I were to try this recipe again, I might do a few things differently:

1. In using Amanda's half-batch recipe, I accidently used the amount of oil from the full batch. This wasn't so bad except that I had to use a lot more flour to compensate for the extra moisture which may have diluted the root beer flavor.  {Note from The Mrs: We weren't paid anything and did not receive anything from Sprecher to make this challah.  We just really love our local brewer.}
2. I used Sprecher root beer since it is both my favorite and a local delicacy. It's one downside is that it uses an additive sweetener which we try to avoid in our cooking/baking. Next time I might use an all natural brand.
3. Amanda recommends not mixing the salt and yeast directly together as it can kill the yeast. This was not a problem with this batch but I would hold off on the salt until later to be safe.

NEXT UP: Coffee Milk {the Official State Drink of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations} Challah!


*{Footnote}* The recipe also lists lard as an option but given the difficulty in finding kosher lard, I went the vegetable shortening.

Guest Post: Sufganiyah Challah

This is a guest post from Leigh Ann, one of my favorite ladies and an awesome rabbi, author, blogger, mom of almost 4, and overall great woman (in no particular order).  You can find her over at The Naptime Novelist or reader her other guest post here, Blueberry Challah.


Thanks for letting me guest-post, Amanda! Delighted to be here.

I love filled challah because I can call it "breakfast" on Shabbos morning, when the last thing I want to do is trudge into the kitchen to get cereal or bagels or muffins for my apparently STARVING children.

On Friday night, I just throw one of these suckers on the coffee table in the living room, so that immediately upon waking, my littles can fall upon this breakfast like the vultures zombies Shabbos sweeties they are.

Ahem.

It occurred to me that I should probably start thinking about Chanukah-themed challah, because, well, that's how I roll. I spied a can of raspberry pastry filling in my cupboard leftover from Hamantaschen-making, and sufganiyah-style challah was born.

Use your regular challah dough recipe. You might want to make it a tad sweeter, so you can add more sugar...I came across this odd little bottle of flavoring, added 2 tsp to a regular batch of dough, and it was just a little butterier and sweeter.  (Note from The Mrs.: I used a similar buttery sweet dough enhancer from King Arthur Flour in my Caramel Chocolate Challah.)


When you're ready to braid, flatten your strands as much as possible. The challah dough is surprisingly tough and elastic, so I've found that rolling strands as usual and then just taking a rolling pin to those suckers


Brush the whole strand with beaten egg white. Just enough to act as "glue."


Drag a thin-ish line of filling down the middle - you don't have as much room as you think in there. Trust me.

Pull up the sides and pinch them together. Don't try to fold one side over the other like you would swaddle a baby - this filling is too liquid for that.

(Yes, I did get some schmutzies on my fingers. So what? It's going in the oven.)

As with any stuffed or filled challah, when you braid, try your best to keep the seam on the INSIDE. That way, when (not "if," WHEN) that filling leaks, it'll just leak onto more challah and you won't lose it to the pan. Also it's WAY less ugly with the seam on the inside.


Now, snug your challot up together in a well-greased, walled pan - I used a 9" square for  two medium-sized challot. Same principle as braiding with seams in - You don't want to lose any of that filling. Better sticky on the outside than crusty-burned onto a pan.

It's okay if there's a gap in the middle - between the second rise and the baking, they'll end up touching.

(See? They always leak.)

Let it do a second proof and bake it as usual - mine took the same temp and time as a typical challah.

Aaaand.....Here it is!


Okay, okay, I know. Not so impressive looking, huh? At this rate, you might end up feeding it to the dog (or the squirrels, I understand, if you live in Virginia) at the end of your Chanukah party. Let's pretty it up a little, huh?

Go ahead and brush it with a syrupy-thin mixture of confectioner's sugar and water....


Dust it with confectioner's sugar, and.....ooooh! Now, THERE's a sufganiyah-style challah.



Chag Urim Sameach, you guys - and don't forget! When someone compliments you on this challah, it was VERY DIFFICULT to make, and you're completely exhausted, and probably someone else should clean up the kitchen while you take a load off.

Guest Post: Blueberry Challah

Today's recipe is The Challah Blog's very first GUEST RECIPE!  The following recipe is brought to you by Rabbi Leigh Ann Kopans of The Frugal Ima (whose Jalapeno Bread recipe we sampled a few weeks ago).  Leigh Ann has really great, time saving, money-smart recipes on her blog along with other wonderful thoughts on Jewish living and making our homes meaningful places for our families and ourselves.



Blueberry challah - For challah bakers and seasonal produce obsessors, blueberry challah is like that beautiful new girl in school who shows up just when things were getting too boring to take anymore. It’s the new mixed with the same old thing. The two belong together. It’s all you think about. It looks so beautiful, and smells so sweet. In your head, that is. You must bake this challah. You can’t resist.

But here’s the thing - Blueberry challah is like a pair of star-crossed lovers – it can’t win. It’s impossible. Add juicy fresh berries to a dough that already stands precariously at the edge of being too sticky? Especially in the summertime, just when the blueberries are in season, and the humidity weekly threatens every Jewish baker with turning their challot into a sweating, melting pile of eggy goo?

But channel Edward, friends. Attempt the impossible, and all your friends will be impressed that you were able to hold out long enough when you finally, finally, win your prize.

Make your regular challah dough, a bit drier than usual. (Amanda’s recipe on this site is great, and pretty close to what I used.) The higher the ratio of oil to water, the better – it will keep the dough from sticking to the work surface and aid in your stranding.

Just before your dough is ready, knead in some FROZEN blueberries. Add a little more flour as you’re doing that to counter the condensation from the thawing blueberries, just enough so you can handle the dough without it sticking all over you. Generously oil your proofing bowl, and plop your dough in there. Give it a turn so the ball is coated. (I don’t have photos of these steps because honestly, I did not have much faith that this challah would make it to a braid.)

When it’s almost doubled in bulk, you can start to strand. This is a sticky dough. Lightly flour your work surface – too much flour will just make your snakes skate around sadly, and will cause you to push too hard.



Now, channel Edward again, friends. If you push too hard when rolling the strands, it will cause the blueberries to break. They are beautiful, but they are delicate, and the only way you will get to enjoy them later is if YOU DON’T BREAK THEM NOW. (Like Bella. See?)



Before you braid, dust each strand with flour, so that they don’t stick together when you braid them tightly.



When you beat up your eggwash, add some vanilla and brown sugar. It’s no secret everyone wants to eat this challah, why not sweeten it up even more?



But thing about this challah is? Once you finally, ecstatically, bite into it…it’s really nothing to write home about. It’s still beautiful, even more beautiful than before it was baked. Certainly, there’s nothing WRONG with it. But it’s kind of bland, with not much real character to differentiate it from other challot - a Mary Sue, if you will. (Yes. I even crack myself up.) And that’s why I’m calling this “Bella Cullen Blueberry Challah.”





Shabbat Shalom and happy summer from the Kopans Bayit to you!