Challah Bread Daring Bakers Challenge May

I did it!I did it!I did it!I did it!
I finally did it!
Every month...I am besieged by self doubts...This is DIFFICULT and all that blah....
But Veni,vidi,vici!
Like Steve Jobs...I came,I saw, I conquered!

OK the photos are not the best I have taken...they put my SONY DSLR to shame...but my only excuse ,I was super,super excited!
Hubby dear watched me braid six strands of Roti dough,laughing all the time at my feeble attempts to get the six strands to come together in this beautiful braid.
Imagine...me a study in concentration..sitting in front of the laptop at the dining table with six strands of dough...going nowhere...for half an hour....
With sweet child smirking...
and hubby dear asking if he will ever get fed and wondering if I intend making rotis from the same dough I was playing with...
Almost gave up already!
But then my name is Shalini...

One try with the right instructions...EUREKA!
That deserved a  victory dance...
If I would have put in so much effort into my books,I would have been a PhD already!


To those of you who are not a part of the daring bakers...
This was the challenge for the month of May 2012.


Challah Bread.
Bread could have been made without the braid...but then it would not be so magical...
Here is ...

A brief historical introduction:

Challah is a bread of celebration in Jewish tradition. At a time when white flour was considered a luxury, its use 

was reserved for either the wealthy or for festive events. In Judaism, the Sabbath is a weekly holiday, and 

therefore is a festive occasion. It was around the 15th century when Jews in parts of Austria and Germany 

adopted an oval braided loaf from their neighbors to make the Sabbath special. These fancy shaped loaves 

made with white flour were seen as a fitting way to honor the Shabbat (Sabbath), symbolized in Jewish culture 

as a queen, therefore deserving of the finest one can achieve. In honoring the Sabbath as a day of rest, two 

loaves are traditionally put on the table. This is generally seen as a representation of the double portion of 

manna provided to the Children of Israel on Fridays during their wandering in the desert after fleeing from Egypt. 

This double portion allowed them to maintain the commandment to not do “work” on the Sabbath.

Blog-checking lines: May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood 

challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, 

she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.

So thank you Ruth...I don't think I'll ever doubt myself again.


Yup, melodrama is my middle name!


You may not get the braid the first time, but the bread is super easy and TASTY!


So many people cant go wrong...It has eggs and whole wheat/atta ,oats and butter ...and a little flour.

And the goodness of poppy seeds and sesame seeds and nigella seeds...you can do flax...or just herbs or 

garlic or whatever.

A bread is like a mannequin...how you dress it is your choice.

Try it, its almost addictive.

for the 

Challah Bread Daring Bakers Challenge 


May...

you need

4 1/2 tsp dried yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup brown sugar(I used jaggery-gur) you can use regular sugar

3 eggs

120 gms butter-at room temperature(a little more than 1/2 cup)

2 tsp salt

2 cups whole wheat flour/atta

2 cups plain flour+ extra to knead the dough

1/2 cup quick cooking oats-I used Quakers
Additional flour about 1 cup to help knead the dough
1 egg beaten ...for the glaze
seeds to sprinkle-I used poppy seeds ,nigella seeds and sesame seeds




Start with a quick prayer on your lips...I did...I was terrified of making this into a no show!
Then place the yeast in the bowl and pour in the water.Quickly whisk and set aside 5 minutes while you gather the rest of the ingredients.

That's the yeast after 5 minutes...not super frothy ....and I panicked ..then I remembered that I had yet to add the sugar.

So in went the sugar...jaggery(gur) in my case and the eggs and the butter.

After I tried to mix them together...At least the jaggery(gur) dissolved.

Now pop in the flours and the oats and the salt.

Combine into a sticky thing that is on its way to becoming a dough.Tip it onto the work surface or a big dish like a "parat", knead adding more flour till the dough does not stick to your fingers. It took me almost 11 minutes...the secret to beautifully soft hands...knead dough!

The dough here did not magically transform to a golden yellow...the colour of the dough looked a little too sad ...thanks to the muddy brown jaggery(gur). So I went looking for some saffron...couldn't locate it,thus resorted to yellow food colour. You can of course skip the colour.But it looks pretty..

Kept safe and covered in an oiled glass bowl for 1 hour...till the dough doubled.

It did, and I went ahead and deflated its dreams...punched it..

brought it down to its knees again and left it alone ,covered for an hour.
And lo and behold...it grew even more...threatening an implosion/explosion!

Punch again ,re knead the dough and bring it out on to the flour dusted work top.
Now cut it into two equal halves and bring the baking tray, lined with AL foil or baking paper.
Now cut the one half into 3...

And further into 6 piece....6 strand braided bread here...2 loaves!Roll them out like snakes...preferably thin at the ends and fat in the centre.

Like so and lay them side to side...joining their heads...All the instructions I got from a video here...

Far right, far left...here here mumbo jumbo..

And look...its coming together...yay!

Squeeze the ends under the bread and roll it like a baby...lift it ever so gently...

And place it side by side on the baking tray.Covered ...to rest for an hour.

Doubled...see they touch! Now beat the egg and 1 spoon water for the glaze....and brush over...generously.

Sprinkle over the seeds in random order.Pre heat your oven to 350F and then pop the bread in.

I was pacing like an expectant parent outside the labour room...waiting for the bread...just popped over to chat with the neighbour and left the bread in about a couple minutes too long. Should have been ready in 40 minutes , I gave it 45...my bad...but other than the dark bits....It smelt AWESOME!

And the wait was killing ...we waited for it to cool before slicing the bread..see the texture and the crumb..aww!!

With cheese spread and butter...we had no words.
BTW this bread is to be shared with friends and family...we shared too with neighbours...

So Thank you Ruth! and Daring Bakers!
I had the most fun doing this months challenge and ...sweet child was taught  a lesson in perseverance!
And taste ...and history and culture!
Ready for the next challenge already!
Bring it on!!

So what are you baking today????