8/10/2010 - Challah

Challah is a traditionally Jewish bread that is enriched with eggs. I've made challah several times before using a different recipe. I really liked my old challah, but J4 didn't care for it as much. I was interested to see how this bread would compare, as it has a much higher egg content than my old recipe.

This was a simple bread to make because there was no preferment or delayed fermentation; it's flavor is from its enrichment so it doesn't need the extra time. I've almost gotten used to bread taking two days to make, so this felt like a snap. I decided to go fancy with the shaping. Challah is traditionally a braided bread but I opted to make a double braid, with a small braid laid over a larger one. This bread is topped with an egg wash before baking. The resulting loaf may be the most dramatic thing I have ever baked.  My pictures don't do it justice. I wanted to give it to someone as a very special gift, it was that gorgeous.

It was almost too beautiful to eat, but eat it we did. This was an immediate favorite of mine. It is a beautiful bread, and it is rich with a hint of sweetness. J4 liked it fine, but again, he didn't like it as much as I did. Unfortunately, he will probably be eating it again because I am already itching to revisit this one. I have already decided that next time I will make a single braid and curl it around into a wreath shape.