Challah splitting

about the proofing on these?  I ask, because that's the first culprit I would suspect.

The next suspect would be the tighness of your braiding.  Not seeing the dough before you baked it that's a hard thing to comment on.  You don't want to have any tension on the dough when you braid.

Just some things to think about.

with proth5. Both looser braiding and more proofing time should take care of the problem. I've had the same splitting problem myself once or twice, and a longer proof time definitely helped. I gather that you are using just natural leavening so it is going to take a while longer than the usual commercial yeast recipes. Also, I think that when it splits only a little bit at the places where the braids touch it actually looks kind of nice.

Your comment almost stopped me from channeling "You Know Who" and asking if you thought it was proofed enough and it exploded like that - what should you do?

I have found that with braids you want to proof to the far side of the proofing window - sometimes scarily so...

Pat

I have no idea how to make this image sit the correct way.  On my desk top it's correct but when I put it in a comment it goes "kattywampus".  You and Lisa Hicks helped me to make my challahs.  They don't split.  I have no idea why yours does.  It has something to do with under or over proofing and the moistness of the dough and the humidity of the oven or the basting of the dough with egg or water or glaze.

You might try increasing the humidity in the oven by putting a pan of water on a rack or on the oven floor.  I'm willing to bet that at the temperature you're baking the loaf that the outside shell is setting before the dough inside has finished expanding from oven spring.  Adding a decent amount of moisture to the cooking environment will keep the outside of the loaf pliable allowing the inside to finish heating up and springing.  You can add water to a hotel pan or a cast iron skillet that you warmed up with the oven.  Make sure to use hot boiling water and not cold water or you might damage them.  You might also try watering down your eggwash.  The eggs may be helping the crust to set prematurely.  More water moisture at the beginning of the cooking process wouldn't hurt.

Whoops.  Forgot to mention that you'll want to add enough water to the pan to add moisture for the first third or half of your cook time.  Cooking on a pizza stone will help because you'll be able to heat the moisture in the center of the loaf faster before the top crust sets.  Using a combination of both would work even better.

Well, I could channel my Spirit Guide and say "If you proofed that long and it solved a lot of problems what if..."

But I won't.

But I did tell you it might be scary.

Anyway.  I generally don't steam enriched breads, including challah.

My eggwash usually has a small amount of water plus a pinch of salt.  Stem and egg wash are somewhat redundant.

I would apply eggwash only after proofing, but I have a light touch with the brush and it doesn't deflate the dough - which might mean despite my fear it isn't really overproofed. (You know, those of us who do the lean breads are used to proofing to about 80% so we can get ears and have slits pop open - something to consider)

I've alwasy had the best luck in my oven (and ovens vary and I know that) using 100% convection and removing my baking stone.  Oven position also has played a part in determining how nicely the bread expands - I do wonder if the oven is too crowded.  (and now we're down to the last 5% - aren't we - round 2 loaves are perfectly nice - but not perfect.)

I can do a 5 strand braid all day but the 4 strand high braid still makes me swear strange oaths. I do envy your ease with that.

Good luck!

Pat