Challah in the bread machine

[DanM]

My standard procedure (when I remember to do it) for proofing dough is to microwave a glass of water for 3 minutes to make the microwave warm, then put the dough in there. In the case of an enriched dough like for challah I do it in a bag, and for regular dough I do it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap.

Again, interesting! I typically proof bread in the oven with the light on. The light bulb provides enough heat to keep my oven at 90-100f.

Dan

Edited March 25, 2010 by DanM (log)

[David A. Goldfarb]

Looks just like it should look from the bread machine. Good to find out occasionally that my recipes are portable!

[Darienne]

The painful truth is that it's been years since I even made bread in a machine and at that I had to relearn that simple process. I used to make bread constantly in my bread machine, in my 'cooking under duress' days, and had designed my own bread recipe which we loved...to our detriment.

The even more distressing truth is that I have never made bread any other way and it is now one of my next projects...in a long line of culinary projects stretching out, no doubt, far beyond my lifetime.

Thanks again, David. Boozy Oven-baked French Toast will have to wait until the next loaf...this one is almost all gone already.

[David A. Goldfarb]

So today I decided to make a challah using the recipe I posted above (post #8), and I was short of bread flour, so I tried it with King Arthur First Clear flour, and I had an extra egg yolk, so I added it, keeping the total volume of water and egg the same--big improvement in flavor, and I really liked the texture. It took a couple of tablespoons more First Clear than bread flour to hold together, so maybe figure 3-3/8 or 3-3/4 cups first clear.

First clear flour in general is used together with rye flour in Jewish rye bread, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were some tradition of using first clear in challah. It's less refined than white flour, so maybe poor people used it, which would probably mean that it tasted better. There's a good description of what first clear flour is here--

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/6194/first-clear-flour

Edited April 17, 2010 by David A. Goldfarb (log)

[Darienne]

Interesting post, David.

Never heard of clear flour before and would be surprised to be able to get it in Peterpatch (as we lovingly call it). Went to your link and it's just too early in the am to take it all in.

I'll add an extra egg yolk next making. The machine Challah is good...but it lacks something...??? But then it's adapted for a machine. The extra egg yolk sounds promising.

(I did do the braided Challah as promised but it looked so embarrassing that I didn't post my photo.)

This bread does so well in the Boozy Oven French Toast recipe by Smitten Kitchen. DH, Ed, wants me to make it savory with bacon and cheese so that it next on my agenda. Well...sort of next.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Here's today's batch, made with the KitchenAid mixer. This time with King Arthur First Clear Flour and four yolks instead of two whole eggs (because I used the whites to clarify stock).

[Darienne]

Gorgeous looking loaf, David.

Question which occurred to me suddenly. What if I took 1/2 cup of mixed glaceed fruit which has been soaking in booze for lo these many months...started for a Black Cake which never got made...and threw it into your Challah recipe at the raisin beep signal? I assume it would work pretty well? Or would the booziness be a problem? Thanks.

Have friends coming for coffee at 10 am and wanted a sort of fruity bread to serve. Not cake or muffins, but more bread like.

Edited May 5, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[David A. Goldfarb]

Question which occurred to me suddenly. What if I took 1/2 cup of mixed glaceed fruit which has been soaking in booze for lo these many months...started for a Black Cake which never got made...and threw it into your Challah recipe at the raisin beep signal? I assume it would work pretty well? Or would the booziness be a problem? Thanks.

Sounds great!

[Darienne]

Question which occurred to me suddenly. What if I took 1/2 cup of mixed glaceed fruit which has been soaking in booze for lo these many months...started for a Black Cake which never got made...and threw it into your Challah recipe at the raisin beep signal? I assume it would work pretty well? Or would the booziness be a problem? Thanks.

Sounds great!

Done and it is GREAT! :wub: Looks a bit like a dog's dinner, but the taste is incredible. Nothing like fruit which has been 7 months soaking in rum and wine to lend flavor to an already delicious bread!!! We ate it right while it was still quite warm with cold butter. Should be great with cheddar cheese too.

However, I missed the 'raisin' beeps and had to remove the dough from the pan and hand knead in the fruit which was a bit wet. It did look quite mangled. It also amazed me by rising to the very top of the pan when it baked. And the outside crust looks burnt because of the fruit I guess. It's not actually burnt.

[JFLinLA]

Well now I'll have to try the food processor for making challah dough. And my favorite is the Lauren Groveman recipe that's in Baking with Julia. I've been using it forever.

That said, you can give yourself a lot of flexibility by making the dough (in whatever piece of equipment you want) and putting it in the refrigerator for all the rises. A typical schedule for me is:

- Make the dough at night & chill in the fridge

- Punch it down in the morning, put it back in the fridge and go to work

- Take out the dough upon arriving back home and shape immediately or let it warm a bit and then shape. Cover and back in the fridge.

- Early the next morning, wander to the fridge bleary-eyed, place the unbaked challah on the counter still covered. Return to bed and then take a shower or straight to the shower. Maybe get oven pre-heating at this time.

- After the shower, wander back to the kitchen with towel on head, glaze and put in pre-heated oven. Finish getting ready while challah bakes.

- Remove from oven and leave on counter to cool. Go to work. Return home to a freshly baked challah. Yum.

Another great trick is to put an already shaped challah on a parchment lined tray in the freezer. Once it's frozen solid, wrap it tight for later use. When it's time, remove from the wrapper, place back on a tray lined with parchment (and corn meal if you like) and cover with a towel. It will take several hours to thaw and rise. It will depend on how big it is, how warm in your kitchen, etc. Then bake as usual.

[Darienne]

Thanks for the interesting post, JFLinLA. I looked up the recipe online and have saved it to look at it further. However, given the fact that I live and work at home, I cannot see myself following your procedures for making the bread. They obviously work well for you and that's all that's needed.

Thanks again.

[Darienne]

The Fruited Challah is gone and so is the next loaf, a Sweet Potato bread with cranberries and pecans. And now I have a loaf of Pan Negro (chocolate) with a Rum-Chocolate sauce to spread on it. Great fun!

What I learned is that bread machines have come a long way since I last made bread regularly. I did not post a photo of the Challah with fruit in it because the crust looked so dark, it looked burnt...but wasn't. I now know that it should have been done in one of the newer machines which has crust settings (light and dark) and more basic settings (sweet, quick, etc).

OK. I think it's way past time to make bread by hand, or at least in a stand mixer and then into the oven. Yep. That's what I think.