Yeast is a scary concept, its little living specks that somehow allow for dough to poof up. I have always wanted to work with it but my fear outweighed the unknown deliciousness of freshly baked bread. However, when I received the Kosher By Design for Teens and Twenty-Somethings cookbook, I knew that I had to conquer my fear and make this bread.
When I received the Kosher by Design cookbook I was so eager to try every recipe from it! I love Susan Fishbeins’s previous cookbooks and this one is no different. Everything seems simple to make (with a few expections) and the recipes are amazing. I also made the Spicy Roasted Carrots which were delicious (coming soon)!! I loved how there were pictures for all of the recipes, I am big on a cookbook having pictures, otherwise I am not sure how it is supposed to look. I can’t wait to try out so many recipes…I already post-it-ed (yes, to post-it something can be made a verb) a majority of the recipes in the book. (Pssst…there is a giveaway at the end of this post!) The beginning of the book has tips and tricks for starting a new kitchen, basic utensils needed and a guide of the classifications of food. It’s is really helpful, especially for someone like my sister who doesn’t even HAVE a sheet pan…
This challah recipe jumped out at me, it was honestly one of the BEST things I have ever ate. Look at that pillow fluff of dough! I was surprised by how much easier yeast was than I thought. The most difficult part was transferring the dough into the pot of boiling water and removing it, the two spoon method that the book calls for didn’t quite work out, but I figured out an even simpler way.
The recipe below is for 1 loaf aka HALF a recipe (double if you would like to make 2 loafs, but keep in mind–she warns that this bread doesn’t freeze well.
Let’s begin:
In a glass bowl, place the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Allow to sit until the yeast shows “life” (creepy??) It should take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
While thats “growing,” mix 1.5 tablespoons of sugar with 1 cup of water, salt and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Then add in the proofed yeast and water mixture.
This recipe uses bread flour to give it that super doughy texture.
Slowly add in the 3 cups of bread flour
The flour will slowly start to be incorporated into the dough. Don’t fret if it looks like a floury mess,
and eventually it will start to form one ball and pull away from the sides
Beautiful stretchy dough
Remove the dough from the dough hook. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees but turn it off when it gets to 175-200*. The yeast needs to rise in a warm place, the oven seemed like the best place.
Cover with a dishtowel and place in the warm oven for 1 hour
After an hour, it is time to wake the dough from its nap.
AHH IT ROSE! I was so nervous it wouldn’t! If going to make double the recipe, I would place into a larger bowl because half of the recipe took up most of the Kitchen Aid bowl.
Turn out onto a floured surface. Excuse the Lucky Charms boxers, clearly baking bread was higher on my priorities list than getting dressed or writing my english paper.
My dough was super sticky so I added some flour on top
Then knead some of the flour into the dough to make it workable. Kneading dough is not as daunting as it sounded either, actually it was pretty fun!
Then flatten it slightly and cut into thirds with a pizza cutter
Then roll each third into a thin log.
Pinch the three ends together and braid tightly.
Pinch the other end together and fold under
Now we are going to lift the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bring a pot of 8 cups of water mixed with 3/4 cup of baking soda to a boil. While that is boiling, allow the dough to rise again.
Time to get that log of dough into the boiling water…I laid it across my arms then placed its right above the water before dropping it super careful not to burn myself.
shmooshed.
Allow to sit for about 30 seconds, making sure to cover all parts in the baking soda mixture. Now the tricky part was removing the dough…
I resorted to spilling out the water into the sink and then sliding the dough onto the parchment lined pan. Some water did get on the pan but I just poured that off and then soaked up the rest with some paper towels and called it a day.
Now brush (or spoon) some water on top the the dough and top with what your heart desires. I had some pretzel salt from a package of frozen pretzels in the freezer but sesame seed or a sprinkling of kosher salt would be good too.
Into the oven for 30 minutes, and then it was eating time!
WOW. Honestly, once I cut into the bread, I couldn’t put it down to take a picture! My entire family sat around the kitchen table trying it with various mustards and butter (my sister isn’t a condiment person…) Sorry mom for ruining the whole diet thing, but some things are just worth it, this was DEFINITELY one of them. I can’t wait to make this for the holidays, I am sure people will pounce on it.
(source)
And now time for THE GIVEAWAY!!!!
Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite yeasty baked good to make! If you have never made anything with yeast, let me know your favorite baked good without yeast.
For extra entries:
TWEET this giveaway and leave another comment telling me you tweeted (make sure to include @cookteen)
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The giveaway will close January 23rd at Midnight (EST) and a winner will be announced Monday!
With love and cupcakes,
Cookteen
Recipe: Hot Pretzel Challah Bread
Ingredients :
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)
1/2 tablespoon of sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 cup canola oil
3 cups bread flour
8 cups water at room temperature
2/3 cup baking soda
Pretzel salt, kosher salt, sesame seeds
mustard, for dipping
- In a medium glass or Pyrex bowl or measuring cup, place the yeast, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Proof the yeast: it should show signs of life by expanding. slightly bubbling, or moving. If none of these things happened, the yeast is dead. Spill out and restart.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, on medium-low speed, mix the 1.5 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup of water, sea salt and oil. (This can be done by hand with a whisk t00)
- When the yeast has “proofed,” beat the yeast mixture into the mixing bowl. With the mixer at a low speed, add the flour. Raise speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes until a nice, smooth, satiny dough forms. It will have almost a matte finish. If you are kneading in the flour by hand, it may take a few minutes longer to get a good, smooth texture. Cover the bowl of dough with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a jelly roll (or cookie sheet) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface. If the dough is sticky, knead in flour, a little bit at a time, until the dough is easy to roll. Divide the dough into 3 balls and roll each into a long strand. Braid each challah using 3 strands of dough. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Set aside while you prep the next step.
- Bring 8 cups of water and baking soda to a boil in a pot with the widest opening. Gently and carefully, lower one challah into the baking soda solution. Using 2 wooden spoons (or you arm…), carefully turn the challah so both sides get equally covered in to water or bathe the top with spoonfuls of the solution. Remove after 30 seconds and place on the parchment lined pan.
- Brush the top with some water from the pot and then top with salt or sesame seeds.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Best served warmed or re-warmed. Serve with mustard. (Honey mustard was my favorite!)
From (Kosher By Design for Teens and Twenty-Somethings)
I was given a copy of Kosher By Design for Teens and Twenty-Somethings for free to review. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
