Four-Strand Round Braided Challah
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Recipe Intro From thefeedfeed
From Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. Grab a copy of the book here!
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For the challah:
ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds small cantaloupe–size portion) Challah dough or Whole-Grain Challah Dough (recipe below)
- Flour, for dusting
- Egg yolk wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
Method
Step 1
To bake: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1½-pound (small cantaloupe– size) piece. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into an 18-inch rope.
Step 2
Place 2 ropes side by side, and then weave the other 2 ropes over and under them at the middle. The 4 ropes will form a cross, with 2 strands heading north, east, south, and west.
Step 3
Start by taking the strand to the left and cross it over the right one, always going clockwise. Do this with all 4 strands.
Step 4
Now cross the strand that was the right (under the left one) and cross it over the left one, this time going counter clockwise. Do this with all 4 pairs of strands.
Step 5
Repeat this process until the strands are too short to cross each other.
Step 6
Finish by tucking the ends up under the loaf.
Step 7
Place the braided challah on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dust with a little flour and cover very loosely with plastic. Let the loaf rise for 90 minutes.
Step 8
Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven.
Step 9
Brush the top of the loaf with egg yolk wash.
Step 10
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and firm to the touch. Depending on how high versus how wide your braid is, you may need to bake it for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 11
Allow the loaf to cool completely before serving.
For the dough:
ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon granulated yeast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup butter
- 7 cups bread flour
- Egg yolk wash
- Poppy or sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Step 1
Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the water, yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter in a 6-quart bowl or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
Step 2
Mix in the flour without kneading, using a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle), a Danish dough whisk, or a spoon. If you’re not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
Step 3
Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises for 2 hours.
Step 4
The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate the container and use over the next 5 days.
Step 5
On baking day, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Dust each piece with more flour and quickly shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
Step 6
Gently roll and stretch each dough ball, dusting with flour so your hands don’t stick to it, until you have a long rope about ¾ inch thick, about 15 inches long. You may need to let the dough relax for 5 minutes so it won’t resist your efforts.
Step 7
Braid the challah: Lay the 3 ropes side by side and, starting from the middle of the loaf, pull the left strand (rope) over the center strand and lay it down; always pull the outer strands into the middle, never moving what becomes the center strand.
Step 8
Now pull the right strand over the center strand. Continue, alternating outer strands, but always pulling into the center. When you get to the end, pinch the strands together.
Step 9
Flip the challah over so that the loose strands fan away from you. Start braiding again by pulling an outside strand to the middle, but this time start with the right strand. Braid to the end again, and pinch the strands together.
Step 10
If the braid is oddly shaped, fix it by nudging and stretching. Place on the prepared baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rest at room temperature for 90 minutes.
Step 11
Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven. Brush the loaf with egg yolk wash and sprinkle with the seeds.
Step 12
Bake for about 30 minutes. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time. The challah is done when golden brown, and the braid near the center of the loaf is set.
Step 13
Allow to cool on a rack before slicing and eating.