I'm rather fond of challah, but my wife isn't. Most challah is too rich and too sweet for her taste. The closer to brioche it tastes, the less she likes it. So, when I made “My Sourdough Challah” from Maggie Glezer's “A Blessing of Bread,” and both my wife and I loved it, I was delighted.

Of course, all challah was made with sourdough before the introduction of commercial yeast. Since then, according to Glezer, challah has tended to be made sweeter and richer. Sourdough challah has a “moister, creamier texture” and stays fresh longer that the yeasted variety. Glezer's version has a delightful sourdough tang which lends it an almost “sweet and sour” flavor. It is wonderful plain, as toast and as French toast.

* I added an additional 3 tablespoons or so of flour during mixing, because the dough seemed too wet. This may have been needed due to my using more starter than Glezer specifies. See below.

+ Glezer says to use only 200 gms of starter, but I used all of it (250 gms)

Procedures

1. The night before baking, mix the starter and ferment it at room temperature for 8-12 hours.

2. In the morning, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the starter in the water, then mix in the 3 eggs, salt, honey and oil until completely combined.

3. Mix in all the bread flour until it forms a shaggy mass.

4. Knead the dough on the bench or in a stand mixer until it is smooth and there is moderate gluten development. Add small amounts of water or flour to achieve the desired consistency. The dough should be quite firm.

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover it tightly. Ferment for about 2 hours. It may not rise much.

6. To make two 1 pound loaves, divide the dough into two equal portions, and divide each portion into the number of pieces needed for the type of braiding you plan to do. (I did 3-strand braids.)

7. Form each piece into a ball and allow them to rest, covered, for 10-20 minutes to relax the gluten.

8. Form each piece into a strand about 14” long. (I like Glezer's technique for this. On an un-floured board, flatten each piece with the palm of your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece to about ¼ inch thickness. Then roll up each piece into a tight tube. Using the palms of your hands, lengthen each piece by rolling each tube back and forth on the bench with light pressure. Start with your hands together in the middle of the tube and, as you roll

   it, move your hands gradually outward. Taper the ends of the tube by rotating your wrists slightly so that the thumb side of your hand is slightly elevated, as you near the ends of the tube.)

9. Braid the loaves.

10. Place each loaf on parchment paper in half-sheet pans (I used a quarter-sheet pan for each loaf.) Cover well with plasti-crap or place the pans in a food grade plastic bag, and proof at room temperature until the loaves have tripled in volume. (Glezer says this will take “about 5 hours.” My kitchen was rather cool. I proofed for 6 hours.)

11. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF with the rack in the upper third of the oven.

12. Brush each loaf with an egg lightly beaten with a pinch of salt.

13. Optionally, sprinkle the loaves with sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds.

14. Bake until done – 25-35 minutes for 1 pound loaves.

15. Cool completely before slicing.

David

Submitted to YeastSpotting on SusanFNP's Wildyeastblog. 

Babke from "A Blessing of Bread" by Maggie Glezer

Babke, cut

Babke, slice

This is for Janedo, who seems to check in with TFL before she eats breakfast. ;-)

 I've wanted to find a recipe for a yeasted coffee cake that I really liked. I've had a babke in mind, but have not found a lot of recipes. I found this one in Maggie Glezer's "A Blessing of Bread," and it sounded good.

 My verdict is that the bread is excellent, but the filling is waaaaaay too sweet. It has sugar (a cup), cocoa, a bit of cinnamon, raisins and chocolate bits. Oh, yeah. And 1/4 lb. of butter. I cut down on the raisins and chocolate, and still waaaay too sweet.

 If anyone has a favorite recipe for babke that is wonderful and not too sweet, I'd love to try it.

David

I just posted the Semolina Sandwich Loaf ( http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/4213/semolina-sandwich-loaf ) and wanted to share my experience making this sourdough version of Maggie Glezer’s.