The Fresh Loaf

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Traditional Challah, Rose Levy Beranbaum's new recipe.

mariana's picture
mariana

Traditional Challah, Rose Levy Beranbaum's new recipe.

 

 

Good morning!

 

For those who celebrate today, Happy Holidays!  This morning I got up early and prepared traditional challahs, using recipe with sourdough starter and yeast in dough, developed by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The recipe is published onlne in Rose's blog:

 http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2006/03/my_new_favorite_traditional_ch.html

Braided challah

 Round pull-apart challah

I used some challah dough to bake poppy seed buns. By now, there are almost none left. I took them to my dentist's office and they liked them there. : )

 

Many thanks to L_M for suggestion and advice and to Rose Levy Beranbaum for the recipe.

 

mariana

JMonkey's picture
JMonkey

Those are gorgeous!

L_M's picture
L_M

Mariana, you've outdone yourself again!!! Is that possible? All of those variations look just delicious... hope they were.

Happy holidays!

L_M

caryn's picture
caryn

Marianna- I agree- your breads look fabulous.  Please tell us how you made the poppy seed rolls and pull-apart challah.  I would like to try them as well.  Thank you!!

mariana's picture
mariana

 

Thank you, JM and L_M. Thanks!  L_M, today is a good day in our house. Thanks to you we are having those gorgeous breads. It's the first time I made those, encouraged by you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

Caryn,

 

the pull-apart challah is made of 12 rolls - a symbol of 12 tribes of Israel. I actually put inside each roll a tsp of poppy seed filling, kids like surprises : ). Normally, it would be plain challah bread. Place them in a large cake pan lined with parchment paper, so that there is plenty of space between them, becaues they will eventually quarduple in size, and encircle them with a simple braid.  Round shape of this challah also symbolizes the cycle of one year which is celebrated from harvest to harvest. Proof , brush with egg wash and bake at 325F for 30 min.  This is one recipe of challah dough as formulated by Rose in her blog.

 

For poppy seed rolls, roll out the dough fairly thin, about 1/4", into a rectangular shape. Spread poppy seed filling thinly all over with a broad spatula, and roll it up and seal the dough. Cut into rounds or thicker pieces which you can later mark with the back of a knife or create many different shapes which I can't describe, I would have to provide drawing or photographs. Place them on parchment, spacing wide apart (they will at least quadrupe in size, remember). They will leak some of the filling out which will be delicious after baking, like liquid caramel reabsorbed by baked dough. Proof, brush with egg glaze and bake at 325F for 20-30 min, depending on the size of the rolls and how crunchy or moist you like them. Sprinkle with icing sugar if you like.

 

Poppy seed filling

Pour boiling water over poppy seeds, let sit for a few min, drain. Boil poppy seeds with honey for 5-8 min, let the mixture cool, use as a filling in cookies, rolls and breads.

Proportions of poppy seeds and honey for one recipe of Challah Dough are

1/3 cup poppy seeds

3 Tbsp honey.

caryn's picture
caryn

Thanks so much for your wonderfully detailed response.  Have a Happy New year!!  I will look forward to trying out the challah recipe and your variations. 

ehanner's picture
ehanner

What a beautiful selection of Holiday Breads. Each one more interesting than the last! I see you have mastered the braid also, very nice.

Eric

dolfs's picture
dolfs

That Challah looks wonderful, better than mine. I just found out about that recipe the other day and was too chicken to try it for this "important" day.


--dolf

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

The Challah and poppy seed rolls are beautiful..very nice job!

dolfs's picture
dolfs

After making a Challah the other day (my own recipe) this post showed up and it got me interested in trying this variation this coming Friday. Then, tonight, as I sat down a read the details of Rose's recipe, I found her remark about the fact that this version is pareve (which I don't care about) and to check out the recipe for the Dairy Dinner Challah.

As I did that, and compared I found several remarks that suggest that the traditional Challah is firm in texture, not so moist, and the Dinner one is. The difference would even be greater the next morning. Since for my family I could make either one, and since we never eat the whole Challah on Friday night, keeping properties and lightness are paramount. So, for those of you who have made the traditional Challah, how did it turn out as far as lightness, texture and keeping properties? My own recipe is very light and keeps really well.

--dolf

My Bread Aventures

ehanner's picture
ehanner

dolf, could you clarify what you are saying for me please. Are you saying that the recipe you use is more like the dinner version and is moist and keeps better? If so could you post the recipe for us? I have made Roses formula many times but never the variety that Mariana prepared.

I'm not Jewish but many of my family and friends who are have been pleased with my creation of the traditional holiday breads using Roses recipe and the 6 strand braid.

btw both of your links lead back to Mariana's origional post.
Thanks,

Eric

dolfs's picture
dolfs

What I was saying is that mine is soft, tasty, and keeps well. Reading about Rose's I was not so sure. Mine is more of an in-between version. I am sure that Rose's is wonderful, but I was concerned with how it keeps. Rose answered (below). My recipe is described in my original post (about my Challah), and it contains a link to the formula spreadsheet.

Regarding the links: You mention both links. There is one in the beginning of the reply which most definitely does not link to Marianas post, but to mine. The other is in my signature line, and links to photos of all breads I have baked. If they don't go to these places for you, something is wrong with the site, or your browser. 


--dolf

My Bread Aventures 

mariana's picture
mariana

 

Hi Shari,

to shape those rolls, you cut chunks of 'jelly roll' and then either lay them out in fancy shapes or mark with pencil or some other round object

 

 If you nearly cut each chunk in half, you the open the halves up in a variety of ways, for example,

 

 

 more shapes here

http://mariana-aga.livejournal.com/4606.html

 

Enjoy!

 

mariana

 

 

browndog's picture
browndog

Goodness, even your raw dough is beautiful, Mariana.

I'm rying out your Calvel sourdough today. Finally got the hours into a workable configuraion, we'll see what happens.  

weavershouse's picture
weavershouse

I'm poking around looking to see what I've missed. I don't know how I missed these. They're all gorgeous! Wow!                                                                              weavershouse

Ruth Redburn's picture
Ruth Redburn

   Any way to make challah or rolls without eggs?  I just got out of the hospital with a heart problem and after seeing Mariana's gorgeous challah and rolls, I am hoping to try something similar. Would eggbeaters work?        Ruth Redburn

dolfs's picture
dolfs

I made this recipe Challah today. It was definitely not as light and fluffy as my own, but that may also be due to the fact that I braided much tighter than usual. On the other hand, the flavor was excellent. For break-fast tomorrow PM I will do a repeat performance with one Challah and I will attempt the "fancy" poppy seed rolls.


--dolf


See my My Bread Adventures in pictures

bakedmama's picture
bakedmama

These pictures inspired me to finally bake a challah. I am so glad to have found them. This is the new bread in my routine.