>>Would you be able to post your challah recipe? I am tired of the one I am using and figure yours is probably really good. i always like your recipes. <<

My dd14 has taken over the challah making in our house – when she moves out one day, I might have to relearn how to bake challah!  But since I’ve made it for so many years, I think it’s more likely to be like riding a bicycle – once you learn you never forget. 

We use hard white wheat for most of our baking.  People always know that there’s whole wheat flour in our challah, but never guess that it’s all whole wheat.  The whole wheat flour you buy in the store is generally from hard red wheat kernels, and is darker in color, with a stronger flavor.  You can buy King Arthur’s white whole wheat, which is basically the same as what we use, but not as good quality because it’s not as fresh.  Nutritionally red and white wheat are comparable.

>> i have switched to coconut oil and palm oil (the same brands you mentioned in your previous posts), but the one area i am having difficulty in adapting to these new oils is challah. I don’t want coconut tasting challah and I cannot find the right measurement for the palm oil. <<

I use expeller pressed coconut oil for when I’m baking something that I don’t want to have a coconut flavor.  Expeller pressed coconut oil doesn’t have a smell or flavor of coconut.  (It’s also not as healthy as the raw coconut oil that retains the coconut smell and flavor, but it’s still very good for you.)  I like coconut a lot, but there are some foods where it just doesn’t enhance the final result!  We melt it first if it’s cold in the house; when it’s warm it melts so it’s not necessary.  We’ve found that it works just like regular oil, though I think the challah stays fresh for longer with coconut oil, but that’s my subjective opinion.  After the coconut or palm oil is melted, use the same amount that the recipe calls for. 

Here’s the recipe we’ve been using for the last year or two – it’s the amount that we make every week, but it’s a large recipe and most families will probably want to halve it.  You could make this size recipe and freeze of the challahs for the following week, but it’s best made fresh.  

• 8 c. warm water
• 4 T. yeast
• 3 T. salt
• 2 c. sugar (1 regular cup, 1 overflowing – we use sucanat)
• 1 c. oil (I use expeller pressed coconut oil)
• 21 – 25 c. flour (I use all whole wheat, but suggest you start off with half whole wheat and half white because it’s easier to be successful with; of course you can use all white if you like, too!)

Mix the warm water and yeast; add salt, sugar, and oil.  Add flour bit by bit – the stickier the dough is, the better the final result, but you can’t have it so sticky that’s it’s impossible to work with.  Let dough rise for an hour, punch down, then braid.  Put in loaf pans or on a baking sheet and let rise for an hour or until doubled.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes for loaf pans, longer for larger challahs – dd rotates the pans so that they’re on the top rack for 15 minutes, then the bottom rack for 15 minutes to ensure even baking.  My dd prefers how the challahs come out when baked in a loaf pan.  The challahs will look underdone when ready, but sound hollow on the bottom when tapped.   This makes 6 – 7 loaf sized challahs.

I’ve learned that making challah is about getting a sense for what the dough should feel like when it’s ready – you can follow a recipe exactly, but you won’t get the same challah every time because it depends on a number of variables.  When using all whole wheat flour, this is even more important, because it’s easy to make the dough too heavy and then the final result will be dense.  

My dd said to tell you not to get discouraged if it doesn’t turn out great the first time.  You have to get a sense of what the dough feels like when it’s just right, but once you’ve got that, your challah will turn out amazingly!

Have a good Shabbos!

Avivah