Challah? Holla!

I was desperate for a child-friendly activity today. We've been climbing the walls all week and have exhausted coloring and painting and building with blocks and all of our play-doh is a deep gray from having mixed every color together. So, what's a good Friday afternoon actvity? Challah. Challah is one of CityBbay's (and my own) favorite foods. The teacher at school claims it was his first word. It's sweet and doughy and when it's warm, oh, it's breathtaking. What's not to love about it? And with Shabbos looming, I decided to try it. I did my research. I went straight to the experts but quickly ruled out Rita Brownstein and decided to go with Joan Nathan, she's our Mario Batali and Martha Stewart all rolled into one. So, as I learned Challah is hard work and an all day affair. Nevermind the two types of dough and making sure the yeast is actually dissolved. The kneading. Oh, the kneading. 10 minutes felt like hours and my arms felt like noodles after. Here is the dough post kneading, rising for the last time and fresh out of the oven:






































I learned a couple of things that I'll incorporate next time. I didn't need as much all-purpose flour. I will definitely use my mixer to knead it next time. And, I cooked it with a small pan of water in the oven. This was a tip I received and apaprently makes the bread softer on the inside. I got the recipe from Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook. Good Shabbos.