None of the Right Materials

This is our favorite (non-challah) bread recipe. It’s supposed to be a copycat of the Outback’s bread. When we were shopping we couldn’t find rye flour, so we substituted whole wheat flour. Therefore,  I can’t comment on its authenticity. No matter what it is still delicious. The recipe is from Chef Pablo’s Restaurant Recipes.

3 packages dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup dark molasses

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups rye (or wheat) flour

2 1/2 -3 cups bread flour

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Soften yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
3. Stir in the sugar and let stand 6 minutes or until it’s bubbly.
4. In large mixing bowl combine the yeast/water combo above along with 1 cup warm water with molasses, salt, oil and rye flour.
5. Mix this until it makes a nice smooth batter.
6. Work in the bread flour until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. It should be very pliable and elastic.
7. Knead the dough for a few minutes and then let it rise in a greased bowl until it’s doubled (about an hour).
8. Punch the dough down and shape into 2 large round loaves
9. Placed the loaves a few inches apart on a greased and cornmeal dusted cookie sheet. Sprinkle a bit of the cornmeal over the top of the loaves as well.
10. Let loaves rise in a warm place until doubled.
11. Bake loaves at 375 for about 30 minutes or until the crust makes hollow sound when tapped.

I learned of this recipe  from  Jaclyn, another student at my college, whose a wonderful cook and baker. The recipe is originally from Recipe Zaar, though Jaclyn substitutes the second round of all-purpose four with wheat flour. I streamlined the directions, added the wheat flour, and didn’t include the egg glaze, since I think it tastes better without for the whole wheat version. If you like more detailed instructions check out the original. Personally, I like this recipe better for whole wheat and my mother’s for white.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 packages dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups warm water

1 egg, beaten

1. Combine 1 tbs of sugar with  yeast and  warm water and let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix the rest of the sugar, salt, 3 1/2 cups flour,  egg, and oil.
3. Slowly start mixing in most of the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead it on a floured surface for approximately 10 minute, until is becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Place dough into a large oiled bowl turning the dough once so its oiled on all sides.
6. Cover with a damp towel and  let rise in a warm place for 2 hours, punching down in 4-5 places every 20 minutes.
7. Prepare your baking sheet lining it with parchment paper.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
9. This recipe makes two loaves, so cut the dough in half, then cut each side into equal sized pieces depending on how many strands you want to braid.
10. Roll part out until its about 10-12 inches and braid each challah.
11. Place each challah  on baking sheet when finished braiding.
12. Cover and  let the challah rise for 1/2 an hour until doubled.
13. Put in preheated oven and let bake for  25 minutes.
14. Turn off oven and leave challahs in for exactly another 10 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Tips

You could also cut this recipe in half and still have enough for two smaller challahs. It will probably take a shorter time so I would check it at 20 minutes. My mother’s recipe, which is about half of this one takes 30 minutes to bake (without a 10 minute sitting period).

You can also add toppings such as sesame or poppy seeds right before you put them in the oven.



This is the challah recipe that my mother makes on Shabbats. She uses a bread machine on the dough cycle, but here is how to do it by hand.

1 1/4 cups of warm water

1 packet of yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 egg, plus 1 egg for egg wash

1 tsp of salt

1/2 cup of sugar or 1/3 cup of honey

1/8 tsp of cardamon (optional)

1 stick of butter or margarine, melted

4 cups of flour

1. In a large bowl combine warm water, yeast and a tsp on sugar. Let rest for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is dissolved and foamy. (This proofs the yeast to make sure its working)

2. Mix in wet ingredients (egg and butter).

3. Mix in salt, cardamom, rest of sugar (1/2 cup, minus a teaspoon) and 3 cups of flour. I tend to mix one cup of flour at a time until its totally combined.

4. At the fourth cup of flour take it more slowly. You may need more, you may need less. You want the dough to be soft, but not sticky.

5. When the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl, take it out and start kneading it on a floured surface. Knead with hands until its smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes.

6. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rest for 1-2 hours in a warms spot, until doubled. You can punch it down every 20 minutes.

7. When doughs done rising, knead it again briefly on a floured surface.

8. Then cut it in half for two loads. For each loaf, cut dough into a number of equal sized balls depending on how you want to braid it.  I use 4 strands, but you can use 3, 6, 10- however you like.

9. Roll out each ball into a long equal length strands. Then flour each strand (they won’t bleed into each other as much when cooked) and press together at the tips. Fold the combined area under the loaf and braid. At the end squeeze the strands together again, and roll the tip under the loaf.

10. Placed braided loaves on a greased sheet, cover with a cloth, and let rest for 45 minutes.

11. Pre-heat oven to 350 about 15-20 minutes before placing Challah in oven.

12. After 45 minutes, beat an egg for egg wash and paint the top of each challah with it. My mom has a baking brush. I used a piece of paper towel. Make sure you get all the nooks and crannies.

13. Bake Challah for 30 minutes. Check after 20. It should be nice and golden.

14. Enjoy!!