So some time ago we've had some March snow + flurries, and this past week we've had a clear but chilly day, a rainy/stormy day, a fairly okay but windy day, then finally, a really hot today.
Naturally my immune system freaked out, and now I have a full-blown cold.
Question: is it okay to bake things for people when you're sick? Is that just terribly gross and unacceptable, even if you wash your hands more times than you can count and when you run ten feet away from the kitchen just to sneeze, then come back?
I promise I had nothing but good intentions.
I baked this challah for a close family friend. She's also been sick and down in that place... where you live a few days in your pink fleece pajamas... and don't give a crap what anyone might say about it. She yelled at me for baking when I was sick. As in, sick and should've taken care of myself instead. NOT sick and shouldn't have dared to make food in my nasty germ-infested state.
Obviously this person is a saint, and obviously this person deserves a good bread.
This isn't our first run-in with the challah.
I've baked it before, in a classic two-braid log form, for someone very dear to me. We both loved this egg bread, and ever since then I've been on the lookout for more challah recipes. When I found this one featuring tons of apples and cinnamon and honey, I knew I had caught on to something good. Really good. Plus, seeing as how I'm trying to incorporate more whole wheat into recipes, I thought it'd be nice to sneak some in here, too, along with some ground flaxseed.
Result: this bread is some serious comfort food. Chicken soup, meet your match.
If you visit the original King Arthur website where I got this recipe, you'll realize that they bake this challah very differently. They don't braid this dough. They fold the dough with the apple pieces inside and cut it into little pieces then snug them inside a baking pan.
However, I've always been fascinated by the round braided challah, so that's what I was aiming for here. It was my first time "braiding," too, but it was surprisingly easier than I thought.
I tried to be as detailed and clear as I could in the directions I wrote below. But you know, this is one of those things you just have to see it to get it. So here are the pictures, taken obsessively and carefully and with a whole lotta love, by yours truly.
Once the challah dough is ready to shape after its first rise, divide the dough into four equal pieces.
Then, take one of the pieces and roll it out into a long strip, about 3 to 4 inches wide. Don't worry too much about the length for now. It doesn't have to be 15 inches exactly. The length is only important to where you have long enough "braids" to shape your challah.
Take about 1/4 of your prepared apple mixture, and carefully spoon it onto the middle of the dough strip.
Also pinch the ends of the dough "logs" and secure the apple pieces inside. Do the same with the rest of the three dough pieces.
Criss-cross your four logs of dough at the middle, like above. It should look like a giant plus sign.
Take the left ends from each of the N-S-E-W corner, and twist them over to the right, as shown above.
Now your dough should look somewhat like a flower.
Next, take the unmoved right side pieces from the step above and move them to the left, counterclockwise. They should also cross over and overlap another dough piece.
Take your remaining pieces and twist and/or cross together. Do the best you can.
This is nothing to stress about.
Yay! Our braid is coming along nicely.
To finish the braid, I took the short ends of the dough and either tucked them underneath or tucked them between nearest spaces within the braid.
Again, it's a bread. No need to freak out. It's going to be good- I promise.
...and there we have it!
A pretty braided round apple challah. Notice how my challah is unevenly braided on the left compared to the right? I sorta kinda got either distracted...or confused. But who actually cares? Basically...no one.
In any case, take your dough and place on top of a parchment paper-lined pizza pan or sheet pan. It needs to rise again for another hour.
All puffy and fat and gorgeous and all of looking yummy already.
Don't forget the egg wash! The egg wash is what gives the challah its nice, shiny finish.
When the internal temperature reaches between 190 and 195, you're all set!
Some serving suggestions:
- Sliced and toasted, with butter or jam
- Torn and dipped into hot honey
- Warmed and served with hot tomato soup
- Made into French toast
- Baked into bread pudding
OR if you're like me and my dear family friend, just tear into it and eat it as is like a pull-apart bread. We finished a third of it in one sitting. It was good. I swore we both got better immediately. Something in this bread was like magic.
Bread. Love.
Harvest Apple Challah
*makes one big loaf* (Sorry...I was too excited and didn't take a final measurement...)
Ingredients:
Dough
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 6 Tbsps vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsps ground flaxseed
- 1 1/2 tsps salt
- 1 Tbsp instant yeast
- 2 medium to large apples, NOT peeled, cored and diced in 1/2 inch chunks (I used Pink Lady apples)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water
- coarse white sugar, optional
- To make the dough: combine all the dough ingredients and mix and knead them (by hand, mixer, or bread machine) until you have a soft, smooth dough.
- Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk. If you've made the dough in a bread machine, allow it to rise in the machine for an extra hour after the dough cycle is completed.
- Meanwhile, toss the apple chunks with the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- When the dough is ready, gently punch down and knead once or twice on a well-greased surface.
- Gather the dough into a ball, then using a knife, divide the dough into four equal sections.
- Take one section of the dough and form into a ball. Using your hands, roll the dough into long, thin log, about 15 inches in length. Take your rolling pin (or use your hands) to briefly go over the log, flattening it to about 3-4 inches in width. Note that your log will lengthen a few inches more.
- Take your apple mixture and spoon about 1/4 of the mixture onto the flattened strip of dough. Take the outside edges of the dough, bring them together, and pinch to seal, with the apples securely tucked inside. Completely pinch the dough from top to bottom, also making sure to pinch the very top and bottom ends shut. You'll have a "log" of dough with the apples filled inside.
- Repeat for the rest of the dough balls.
- When you have all four "logs" ready and done, criss-cross them into a basic weave, with two logs pointing North and South, and the two others, East and West, and crossed in the middle.
- Taking the first (left) end of each of the corners and cross them over to the right. (Notice I'm shaping the dough clockwise.) Now your dough should look somewhat like a flower instead of a giant plus sign.
- Now, take the unmoved strip of every end and turn them counterclockwise to cross with the dough that's been moved in the step above.
- Next, (and this can get complicated), continue to turn and twist the ends of the dough to continue forming a braided ball of challah. Tuck the short loose ends into any space you see inside the braid.
- Let the braided dough rest for about 1 hour, lightly greased and covered, until it's risen in height and quite fluffy again.
- Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325 F.
- Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the dough with the egg mixture, and sprinkle with the coarse sugar, if desired.
- Place the bread in the middle of the oven. Bake for 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread reaches 195 degrees.
- Remove the challah from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Serve the bread hot, warm, or at room temperature. Drizzle with honey just before serving, if desired; or serve with honey for dipping. You can also slice the bread and enjoy it with jam, butter, or marmalade.
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