Whole Wheat Olive Oil Challah
Yields: 2 large challahs or 3 medium sized ones
Ingredients
2-2 ½ cups warm water, start with 2 cups
5 ½ cups light or 70% whole wheat flour
1 ¾ cups regular whole wheat flour
1/3 – 1/2 cup light brown sugar
½ T. salt, plus a bit more
¼ cup olive oil
1 T. dry yeast
¼ cup canola oil, maybe a bit more, for later use
Method
Put 1 cup of water in the mixer bowl. Add the light whole wheat flour, the sugar, salt, and the olive oil. Mix together. Add in the rest of the whole wheat flour, and sprinkle in the yeast. Knead in the mixer until it turns into a thick batter. Add 1 more cup of water. Mix again. If it’s too dry, add the rest of the water now. Turn off mixer and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Start to knead the dough again, turning the dough over and over. If the dough is very stiff, add drops more of water to it. To keep it elastic, add in small amounts more of canola oil as needed, until the dough takes shape and becomes smooth, elastic, and easy to handle. Turn it over once again so that all sides of it have a thin layer of oil on them. Leave to rise, covered, for an hour.
Great tip!
To keep it from losing its shape once it’s shaped, don’t let it over-rise!! Let it rise only 10 minutes, and then start to preheat the oven at 350°F / 180°C.
Shape as desired. When risen, brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with desired toppings. After the challahs have risen 40 minutes, slide them into your hot oven and bake them. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until browned on top and also on the bottom.
Tip!
Looks so great as a loaf challah, with black or green olive rings stuck into the dough all over.
