The Challah Project

Challah is a bread that I was introduced to about five years ago and must say I find just fabulous! Not that bread in general isn't most peoples weakness but Challah is something completely different. Its sweet because its made with honey and is a wonderful treat in the morning with great cup of coffee or even as french toast (our favorite).

Its one of those things we have had a million times but I had never considered making it. Until now..... 'DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN!!!!'

I found a recipe online that seemed fairly simple. Its pretty basic as far as bread making goes. So heres the recipe!

• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
  2. Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  4. Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.
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If you're fortunate enough to have a kitchen aid mixer this is a great time to bust it out... unless you're like me and have it sitting on your counter because you use it every day!

Once you have added so much flour your mixer looks like its having an a mini seizure on your counter its time to actually do some legit work. Roll up those sleeves and throw the remainder of the flower on the counter and start kneading the crap out of it until its smooth and not sticky... half way through my awesome kneading Craig looks at me and says.. Are you seriously wearing your ring while your doing that babe? haha... yes... yes i was. what can i say.. just another moment of my pure genius.

hahah ... yeah. i did. it was super fun picking the extra sticky dough out of all the tiny prongs.... awesome.

So after about a ten minute upper body workout kneading the dough you braid it and end up with something that looks like this

coat it with a beaten egg. Pop that amazing creation into the oven and........ POW! you should end up with something that looks like this... maybe even better... dont judge me, its my first time...

Pizza

Im not a big fan of pizza.. never really have been, Craig on the other hand cant get enough of it. I know it seems almost un-American of me but there was just something about the canned tomato sauce, greasy cheese, and lack of nutrition that kept pizza off my list of favorite foods. This was just the kind of thing to invoke my creativity and find a solution to keep us both happy.

I had read up on making pizza dough and kind of lost interest when it seemed overly involved. Then this week while on my weekly Trader Joe's run, I came across their brand of pizza dough for $1.29! I bought it and figured if I knew I had everything in the house to make an awesome pizza I probably would, so off to the cheese section I went! I came home with Motzerella, ricotta, parmisan and a fabulous pesto!

I sliced up some garlic and crushed a red pepper my sister grew and dried for me and we were ready to make pizza! I even found a jar of artichoke hearts in my cabinet and figured i could use that too. I have to say, I found that stretching the dough into a perfect circle was damn near impossible so Craig and I had a sorta rectangular pizza. . . . it was special like us. ha. It was easier that you could imagine once I won the battle with the dough. Pop that bad boy in at 450 degrees and 15-20 minutes later............ BAM! Awesome pizza, happy fiance, easy clean up and something pizza related I could actually stand to eat that didn't remind me of living in student housing.. so all in all- new recipe NAILED! Go me. Now go buy all this stuff so you can make this and be happy too..