Would it be possible to get your recipe for challah? I've started experimenting with breads and want to try yours, but I can't find it :( Thanks in advance!
Sure! I keep meaning to post it anyway. The recipe is heavily modified from this recipe, which uses pumpkin instead of applesauce and adds baking spices. I’ve halved the recipe and simplified the directions.
Also please note, not being Jewish, my modifications may have changed it enough that it would no longer technically qualify as Challah depending on how strictly we’re defining it, so it’s really more of an “egg bread”.
Also Tumblr does the stupid tiny fractions now which are hard to read, so if you see 1 / 4 that’s a quarter, 1 / 2 is a half, etc. I just spaced them out so they won’t do the tiny fraction thing.
Applesauce Egg Bread1 / 4 cup brown sugar3 tbsp honey1 tbsp white sugar(For all the above, you can really use any kind of sugar as long as it comes to about a third of a cup. I usually just stir up white sugar and maple syrup and add a bit of honey. You can also cut this sugar way down to a few spoonfuls if you like a less sweet bread.) 2 and 1 / 2 tsp yeast1 / 2 cup very warm water1 egg (white and yolk) and 2 or 3 egg yolks, all beaten together1 cup unsweetened applesauce1 tbsp canola oil1 tsp salt3-5 cups bread flour (varies by humidity, size of eggs, etc) Egg wash (if desired): 1 egg yolk beaten with a little water
Pour all sugars into a bowl and add warm water, stirring until mostly dissolved. Sprinkle yeast on top and leave to proof for 5-10 minutes, until foamy.
Add applesauce and stir, then add egg, yolks, and canola oil and stir to mix. Add salt and 2-3 cups flour; when the dough becomes too thick to stir, turn it out onto a floured board and continue to knead, adding flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks (much) to your hands or the board.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl (I usually just oil the bowl it was mixed in, I don't even much bother to clean it out) and flip it so that all sides are lightly coated in oil. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. I do this in an oven with the light turned on, but anywhere reasonably warm is fine.
After an hour, punch the dough down down several times to remove air pockets (you can do this in the bowl). Re-cover and let it rise for 1 hour longer.
Take the dough out and place on a floured board; knead, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking (usually I find I don't need any, since the oil keeps it slick). From here you can either place it in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper or braid it.
Once you've braided it, place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat an egg yolk with a little water and brush on the surface of the dough as an egg wash.
Let the dough rise an additional 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350F and once heated, place the bread in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes total, turning at 20 minutes and checking frequently after 30 minutes. The loaf will be very brown from the egg wash, so don't let that fool you, it may still be not quite cooked in the middle, especially if the braid is thick. Because the bread is a soft, moist loaf, thumping the bottom for a "hollow" sound doesn't work terribly well on it.
Remove and let cool. Slice and enjoy!
