Best 3 Joan Nathan Challah Recipes

MY FAVORITE CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with what is now the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour in refrigerator if preferred.
• To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. (If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.) Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
• Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.

MANFRED LOEB'S CHALLAH ( JOAN NATHAN)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water with a big pinch of sugar.
• Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the dissolved yeast and stir with a spoon. Add the remaining sugar, salt, eggs, and vegetable shortening. Beat about 1 minute and then mix by hand. When the dough begins to leave the side of the bowl, turn it onto a lightly floured surface to knead and Knead for about 15 minutes until soft, adding more water or flour as necessary.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough over so that the entire surface is lightly greased. Cover with a cloth. Let rise in a warm place for an hour or more , until the dough is doubled . Punch down. Divide into 2 balls.
• Preheat Oven to 375°F.
• Divide each ball into three pieces. Roll each piece into a (appox 12") strand and braid, then tuck in ends. ( he gives a six strand braiding method that is really confusing so I use the 3 strand method).
• Place braid onto either cornmeal sprinkled or parchment paper lined ( I use parchment paper) sheet. Use 3rd egg ( beaten with a bit of water) and brush ( using a pastry brush) the Challah. If using sesame or poppy seeds, sprinkle over at this time. Cover with a plastic sheet ( spray with Pam first) and let rise 30 minutes.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

SIX BRAID CHALLAH

Steps:

• Recipe makes 2 loafs.
• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid-it's a bit much for it, though it can be done.).
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• At this point, you can knead the raisins into the challah, if you're using them, before forming the loaves. If you've never braided a challah before, you may benefit from watching a video on youtube or facebook or whatever.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls.
• With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.
• Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another.
• Pinch the tops of the strands together.
• Move the outside right strand over 2 strands.
• Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right.
• Take the outside left strand and move it over 2.
• Move second strand from the right over to the far left.
• Start over with the outside right strand.
• Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath.
• For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way.
• Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
• If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.
• Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.) Cool loaves on a rack.
• Note: Any of the three risings can be done in the fridge for a few hours, for more deeply-developed flavor. When you're ready to work with it again, bring it back to room temperature before moving onto the next step.
• Round or straight braid? Raisins or skip them? Straight loaves of braided challah are eaten throughout the year-typically on the Sabbath-round challahs, often studded with raisins, are served for the New Year and the other High Holidays that follow.