The ingredients that go into a loaf of Zomick’s challah bread are simple — flour, yeast, liquid, and salt. Other ingredients can be added in the challah bread depending on the flavor, texture, and nutritional value you are looking for.
THE ART OF BAKING BREAD
All ingredients used for Zomick’s challah bread are kept near room temperature, about 23°C. To activate the yeast, liquids need to be 30-40°C for active dry yeast or 40-50°C for quick-rise yeast. Often the first step in making challah bread is proofing the yeast, or allowing the yeast to soften in warm water with sugar.
MIXING/KNEADING THE DOUGH
Once the flour is added, the dough is kneaded. The dough can be kneaded by hand or with a mixer with a dough hook, a food processor, or in a bread machine, we in Zomick’s prefer to knead and shape the dough with hands whenever it is possible. The more you knead the dough, the finer the texture of challah bread will be.
THE RISING PERIOD
After the dough for challah bread has been fully kneaded, it is formed into a ball, or you can form different shapes. Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl and turn to coat the entire surface(with egg wash, oil or water) so the dough will remain moist. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume. This step is also known as proofing. The optimum proofing temperature is between 25° and 30°F.
Unlike the wheat bread, whole-grain bread dough and low gluten dough also need longer kneading times and will rise slower. If you prefer challah with acidic ingredients such as buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, and lemon juice adding them will cause the dough to rise faster.
SHAPING THE DOUGH
To shape the challah bread, place it on a lightly floured or oiled surface and gently shape it to avoid breaking gluten strands.
If you want to make braided challah, the dough is easier to handle if you first place it on a lightly floured surface, cover it, and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
After shaping, set the dough in a pan or on a baking sheet and leave to rise again. The dough for challah bread should not rise more than double in volume during the last rise. If the dough does over rise, simply reshape, allow to rise again, and then bake the challah bread.
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