**The Art of Making Challah Bread**

When it comes to making challah bread, one can never have too much dough. The beauty of this traditional Jewish bread lies in its versatility and ability to be used in various ways, from sweet pastries to savory dishes. At Breads Bakery, we take pride in our challah recipe, which has been perfected over time through trial and error.

One of the key things that sets our challah apart is its use of a special dough that can be frozen for several days or even weeks. This allows us to make large batches of bread ahead of time, making it perfect for holidays like Rosh Hashanah. The dough is incredibly easy to work with, and it's a great option for beginners who are new to baking.

To start making our challah, we need to let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. This allows the yeast to activate and gives the bread its characteristic texture and flavor. If you're using the frozen dough, you'll need to thaw it first before letting it rest. Once the dough has rested, we can shape it into its familiar braided form.

Before baking, our challah needs an egg wash to give it a nice shine and protect it from drying out during cooking. We use a simple mixture of one whole egg and one yolk to create this golden glaze. Be gentle when brushing the dough with the egg wash, as excessive pressure can cause the bread to deflate.

Now, it's time to add some seeds! At Breads Bakery, we like to mix things up by adding different types of seeds to our challah. We use sesame seeds, flax seeds, poppy seeds, nigella seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds to create a beautiful and flavorful bread. The order in which we add the seeds is important – we start with the cleaner seeds, like sesame and flax, and then move on to the more exotic options like nigella and sunflower.

The beauty of challah lies in its ability to be customized to suit any taste or occasion. We've made everything from apple challah for Rosh Hashanah to garlic scapes challah with smoked cheese. The possibilities are endless, and that's what makes challah so special.

So, if you're looking to try your hand at making some delicious challah bread, don't be intimidated by the process. With a little practice and patience, you'll be whipping up braided masterpieces in no time. And remember, the key to a great challah is to take your time and not rush through the process.

As we can see from our latest batch of Challah, this dough will last for several days even weeks from the freezer. You can also freeze them on the fridge overnight. You can even freeze them.This dough will lastin the freezerfor a few days,even weeks.From the fridge, you're gonnahave to let it restfor a little longer than usual,but it's normally two hours.As you can see,I did some earlier today,and I proofedthem before.This is how they should lookright before the oven.Like, you seethe difference.It doesn't need to go, like,all the way like that.You don't needto wait for it.But if it's this way,it's better.You're gonna get a niceand fluffy bread.For your egg wash,you will need -I normally do one-one.So, I do one whole eggand one yolk,so you get a niceshiny color on it.You're gonnatake a brush.And as you can see,this is nice proof,so you're gonna needto be very gentlewhen you brush it,because otherwise,it will deflate,and we don't want that.So, we're gonnastart washing it.Go in each corner.Don't be cheap.Just have enoughso it's nice and shinyat the endof the baking.We call theseregular challahs.You can eitherdo it plain.You can always add seeds.We normally do,at Breads Bakery,poppy challahand sesame regular challahs.Also plain.You can addany seeds you like, really.I didn't perfect this yet.I'm still learning.Yes.So, I'm learning every day.Every day,I'm trying something new.Usually,it comes out good.So, this is a really niceegg wash.So, we're gonnaadd some seeds.We have sesame seeds.We have flax seeds,poppy seeds,nigella, sunflower seeds,and pumpkin seeds.I like to start withthe cleaner ones.So, I start withthe sesame.Get a little bitin your hands.You're gonna do six seeds,so you need to make sureyou divide wellthe spaces,so you don't get too muchof this or too little of that.We're gonna do the flaxnext to it.In order to avoid droppingtoo many seeds on the tray,you always want to keepyour hand below itso all the seedsthat fall here,you should stick them backon the bread.Now, we're gonna add some sesame seeds. We can see how easy it is to get this done.

**Tips and Tricks**

* Use a high-quality flour that will give your challah its characteristic texture.

* Make sure to use the right amount of yeast – too little won't activate properly, while too much can make the dough overproof.

* Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of seeds and flavorings. The possibilities are endless!

* Take your time when shaping the bread – a gentle touch will help prevent it from deflating.

With these tips and tricks in mind, you're ready to start making some delicious challah bread. Whether you're looking for a special occasion or just want to treat yourself, this traditional Jewish bread is sure to impress. So go ahead, get baking, and remember – the more time you take, the better your challah will be!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en-It's such a good bread.It's nice and fluffy.You can eat itwith anything, basically.Hi, guys.My name is Darwin Castillo,Head Baker of Breads Bakeryin New York City.We're gonna show youhow to do challah bread.Challah bread is a traditionalJewish bread.We're gonna start by addingour water in the mixing bowl.We're gonna continueby adding the oil.The reason I'm addingthe liquids at the beginning isbecause I want to avoid all ofthe dough sticking on the bowl.We're gonna addour fresh eggs.Have to do that over,right?-No, no. It's totally fine.-I dropped it in the bowl.-That's okay.-That's fine?-Yeah.-Oh. Okay.We're gonna addour fresh yeast,a combination of bread flourand all-purpose flour.Just don't pour everythingat once,because you're gonnamake a mess.The sugar, salt.Close this.We're gonna start itat very low speed,because we don't wantall of the flour to blow up..So, now, we are startingto activate the yeast.The yeast needs all the starchand sugars from the dough.So, it will startadding some enzymes.If the flour is stickingto the bowl, stop it.So, we're gonnajust scrape this down,just to give it a hand.Let's continue.I mix this doughfor approximately7 to 10 minutes.You start at low speed, and thenjust go a little faster.Speed it up.See how it's allcoming together?We're gonna stop it, and seehow the dough is coming out,because it'sa very hard dough.We will have to finish it upby kneading it on the table.Kneading is fun.So, we're just gonnagive it a hand.I just kind of developthe glutenby finishing it upby hand.This is very enriched,completely differentthan other sourdoughs.I love doing this.This is what I do every dayat Breads Bakery.We do thousands and thousandsof challahs weekly.At Breads Bakery,I don't do it by hand,because it's big amounts.This is a traditionalJewish bread.So, they usually eat iton Fridays for dinner,because, you know,Shabbat is on Saturdays.Honestly, challah is somethingyou can eat every day.I eat it every day.I'm not Jewish, and I eat it allthe time because it's so good.A day-old challah is the bestto do Fresh toast, really.Yeah, you get some really niceFrench toast out of challah.You want to give it, also,some strength,because if the doughis too weak,your bread will not riseas well.But you don't want,also, the windowpane.We are not lookingfor that.You just wanta nice mixed dough,like, see,you can see there.Now, it's nice.We can just let it rest.So, we're gonna wrapour challah doughto avoid anyair circulation,because we don't want our doughto get dry.Nice and tight.We're gonna let it rest at roomtemperature for about an hour.And then, we're gonnadivide it, reshape it,and do the final shape.So, it's been an hour.We're gonna start by,first,your surface needs to benice and clean.For this dough, you don't needany flour at all because,if you use flour, it will createsome holes in the dough,and we don't want that.So, let's unwrap it.So, we're gonna divide thisinto four portions.Do you have a scale?Nah, I don't need a scale.I'm kidding.I just do it by hand.Okay, let's divide itin half.The reason ofletting it rest, also,is because it's just gonna beeasier for you to shape it.You could shape it right away,but it's just better to give itsome time, so the doughgets some elasticity.Yes, so half.Half. Okay.We're gonna do this and thisfor regular challah.This is for the festive.So, we're gonna divide thisin two halves again.But also,when you divide the dough,you don't want to haveso many little chunks of dough,because then, it's gonnabe harder for youto do the final shape.This, we're gonna dosome round festive challah.So, we're gonna divide thisinto three parts.To do the braid shape,you just kind of flattenthe dough a little bit,fold it in with your tips,then, just close it, there.And don't worry if the doughsare not even.This is not a problem because,at the end of the final shape,it will look just right.Now, we're gonna dothe three-strands challah,which is the festive.It's very important to foldthis well because if you leave,like, air bubbles in there,it's not gonna be goodat the end of the bake.You're gonna see some holesin the bread.When you do this, just takeyour time, and degas it nicely.It may look pretty simplethe way I'm doing it,but I'm degassing itvery well.So, it's been five minutes,seven minutes, so far.So, we're gonna start doingthe final shape.So, again, you're gonna dothe same step you didwhen you did the reshape.So, you're gonna fold itone more timewith the tips ofyour fingers,and then, you're gonna dothe final one, here.So, you're gonnaseal the doughwith the palmof your hand.You're gonna roll it over,like, roll it, roll it.You want the dough to be niceand even in the center,and then, just, as you roll it,and make it a little pointed,so it's easier for you to dothe nice shape.And if you see these spotslike this, don't worry about it.It's not gonna make a differenceat the end of baking.We have the dough readyto do the final shape.So, now, I don't braidthe same wayother peoplewould braid.So, I braidtowards this way.I don't braid like other people,like this way.Let's just make surethey are the same length.So, we place one on the bottom,the other one in the center,and take your rightto the left,left to the right,right hand bottom up,left hand top down.And then, you repeatthe same process over and over,right left, left right.And then, you just continuethe same process.You do the same processover and over.Here, when you get tothis point, here,you just pinchthe three.And with the last one,you just go over,so you don't seeany of the tips.It looks like...I don't know.It looks so perfect.-It looks likeit came that way.-I tried to braidmy daughter's hair once,but it was just too littleto me, yeah.Yeah, I'm a good braider.I can do two braids.I can do three braids.I can do four. I can do five.You can do as many braidsas you want.All about practicing,and getting it right.Okay. So, now, we're gonna dothe festive challah.So, the same thing you didwith the regular challah.You just fold it in.Make sure it'snice and tight.Just roll it a little bit,and make it nice and pointed.Make sure you don'troll this too long,because otherwise, you're gonnahave a very long braid.You don't want to have a verybig hole in the center, also,because otherwise,it will collapse.So, it is very importantto have the right length.So, just a little shorterthan the other ones.You need to put somegood pressure on it.Okay. Let's set three aside.Let's start the first one.You could juststart it this way, like,stick three of them together,or you can either do what I do.So, you take left, right,the last one in the center.This will not move here.This will hold all of my braids.So, this is like a lockin there, you know, the center.1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12.That's my secret --12 braids --so you don't get a too big holein the center.You're gonna kind ofjust cross them over.You take this here,this here, these two here.It's just likehugging each other.Press it down.Flip it over.Just bring it inlike that.And this beauty comes out.To avoid themfrom sticking to each other,we're gonna do, like,sideways, you know,put one on this sideone on the other side.You need to make sureyou leave enough spacefor the dough to proof,because otherwise,it will stick on the trays.Regular challah.Now, they're readyto go in the proofer.If you don't want to bake themthe same day,you can always just put themin the fridge overnight.You can even freeze them.This dough will lastin the freezerfor a few days,even weeks.From the fridge, you're gonnahave to let it restfor a little longer than usual,but it's normally two hours.As you can see,I did some earlier today,and I proofedthem before.This is how they should lookright before the oven.Like, you seethe difference.It doesn't need to go, like,all the way like that.You don't needto wait for it.But if it's this way,it's better.You're gonna get a niceand fluffy bread.For your egg wash,you will need -I normally do one-one.So, I do one whole eggand one yolk,so you get a niceshiny color on it.You're gonnatake a brush.And as you can see,this is nice proof,so you're gonna needto be very gentlewhen you brush it,because otherwise,it will deflate,and we don't want that.So, we're gonnastart washing it.Go in each corner.Don't be cheap.Just have enoughso it's nice and shinyat the endof the baking.We call theseregular challahs.You can eitherdo it plain.You can always add seeds.We normally do,at Breads Bakery,poppy challahand sesame regular challahs.Also plain.You can addany seeds you like, really.I didn't perfect this yet.I'm still learning.Yes.So, I'm learning every day.Every day,I'm trying something new.Usually,it comes out good.So, this is a really niceegg wash.So, we're gonnaadd some seeds.We have sesame seeds.We have flax seeds,poppy seeds,nigella, sunflower seeds,and pumpkin seeds.I like to start withthe cleaner ones.So, I start withthe sesame.Get a little bitin your hands.You're gonna do six seeds,so you need to make sureyou divide wellthe spaces,so you don't get too muchof this or too little of that.We're gonna do the flaxnext to it.In order to avoid droppingtoo many seeds on the tray,you always want to keepyour hand below itso all the seedsthat fall here,you should stick them backon the bread.Now, we're gonna do the poppynext to the flax.We're gonna do nigellanext to the sesame.Let's do sunflowernext to the poppy.This is the order I useat Breads Bakery.At home, you can doany order you want.I just don't like to putthe two dark ones together,so I can balance the coloron the bread.This is the good thingabout challah dough --you can do anything.You can do a millionthings with it.So, like, we have apple challahfor Rosh Hashanah, for example.Sometimes I do, like,garlic scapes challahwith a smoked cheese,which is great.Like, you can addpretty much anything.If you see some seedsaround the bread,like, on the tray,you can juststick them to the bread,so you don't waste any.These are all readyto go in the oven.We're gonna preheat our ovento 450 degrees Fahrenheit,and bake them for approximately25 to 30 minutes.I steam theseat the bakery.If you don't have --of course, you don't havea steamer at home,you can just place a potwith some hot water in it,boiling water,so it gives some moist.Because you don't want the breadto get dry.Alright.So, it's been 25 minutes.Let's checkthese babies.Pretty good.Let's take them out.Alright.So, let's just let themcool down a little bitbefore we rip them.You can eat them right away,but it's better to wait.They taste better.So, these are cool enough.So, whenever you eat challah,you don't slice them.No one slices challah.So, all you do is take it,and rip it.See?You can eat itjust plain.You can eat itwith any dippings --honey, extra butter, tahini,anything you want.You can eat it pretty muchwith anything.I can eat this all day.It's so fluffy.It's sweet,but not sweet.It's just great.It's just a nicecombination.You want some?For the recipe,click on the link below.If you don't want tomake it at home,just come and visit usin New York City.We have two locations.So, we'll wait for you.Come. Give us a visit.♪♪I can eatthe whole thing.♪♪♪♪\n"