Small Dough Egg Challahs
For those who wanted a small quantity dough recipe, here’s a really successful one…
My 11 year old daughter makes these all by herself! Since she is not 12 years old yet, ie, bat mitzvah age, in any case she cant do the mitzvah of hafrashas challah on her own, and she likes making ‘her own dough’…
For those who just want to make 2 larger challahs or 3 small challahs quickly, this is a nice exact recipe that yields a wonderful dough whose consistency is smooth, pliable and very easy to use. Just grease your hands with a small amount of oil, smear a small amount on your working surface as well, and you’re all set to shape.
Ingredients
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 cups warm water
1 oz. of fresh yeast (OR 2 & 1/2 – 3 teaspoons dry yeast)
6 cups of sifted flour, plus a bit more if needed
2 medium sized eggs
1 & 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 – 1 cup golden sultanas/ raisins
1 egg for glazing later on
Seeds of choice for sprinkling on top of finished challahs
Method
In a large mixing bowl (you can do this by hand or in the mixer, whichever way suits you best), pour in the oil. This will lubricate the bottom of your bowl by putting it in first.
Add in the sugar, warm water, and yeast of choice. If you used fresh yeast, cover the bowl now with a towel or a plate and let the yeast activate first.
Add in the 6 cups of sifted flour, the eggs and the salt. Begin to knead the mixture. If you are using a mixer, use the kneading hook and allow it to knead until the mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl and is pliable and soft.
Tips!
If the dough is too soft or sticky, add in bits more of the extra flour and maybe a few drops more of oil. If the dough is too stiff, add in bits more of water and oil until it is smooth and pliable.
Turn off the mixer and take out the dough. Knead it by hand for another 2 minutes, adding in bits of oil or small bits of flour if it sticks to your hands or the surface you are kneading on. Once it is a pliable and smooth dough, stop kneading it. Place it in an oiled large bowl, turn it over once or twice so all the sides of the dough will be a bit oiled, and cover the bowl loosely with plastic to enable the dough to rise without drying out. Rising time is 45 minutes to an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
Punch the dough down all over, knead it a bit more by turning it over once or twice, and cover it again to rise for another 30-40 minutes.
After this second rise, punch the dough down and you are ready to “roll”!
This dough makes enough for 3 smaller challahs or 2 larger ones.
Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C.
Braid challahs with three or four strands. Line a baking tray with parchment baking paper and allow the challahs to rise on the tray, covered loosely with plastic. This keeps the challahs from drying out while they rise. Rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Beat the remaining egg in a glass with a fork. Brush this beaten egg on your risen challahs with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the seeds of choice on them (I like white sesame seeds) and slide the trays into the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes until they start to brown, then turn down the heat to 350°F / 180°C and finish baking (about 35-40 minutes) until the challahs are browned on top as well as on bottom. Remove from the trays and allow the challahs to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy immediately, or freeze in good quality freezer bags until the day of use. Just defrost them about 4 hours beforehand, and enjoy!
