Honey Question
I'm entering a challah baking contest this weekend. I plan to use Rose Levy Beranbaum's Challah with Sourdough recipe (on her website, not in her book) which is what I bake all of the time. That challah has a wonderful flavor and texture.
I don't particularly like a sweet challah and one of the things I like about this challah is that it's not overly-sweet. But I know I will be up against many sweet challahs, as most recipes tend to be too sweet for my tastes. My kids complain all the time that my challah is not as sweet as others' and they prefer it to be sweeter.
Unfortunately, I don't have time to experiment and make multiple batches. I usually make a round braided challah, but found out yesterday that the rules require a simple three-strand braided challah. So I can't use any of the ones I already have in my freezer and won't have enough time to get my stiff starter up to the volume needed to make more than one loaf.
The recipe I use has 60 grams of honey to 424 grams of flour (plus 75 to 85 grams of stiff starter). I'm thinking of increasing the honey by 50% to 90 grams, or perhaps something in between 60 and 90 grams. Will that be too sweet? Will the increase in honey affect the texture of the challah at all? Should I make any adjustments to the rest of the formula to compensate for the effects of more honey?