Monday, September 17, 2007

challah back girl

Most people bake a loaf of challah for the Jewish New Year that just went by a few days ago. I had every intention of doing that this year, however life got in the way. This past week was incredibly busy, not to mention I was battling a cold that just did not want to go away. I didn't get a chance to bake the challah for the holidays but with this week off, I plan on making and baking (& eating!) a lot of things that have been on my list.

This is the first time I've ever baked any type of bread. The process seemed very intimidating for an amateur baker like me. I took out my trusty Jewish cooking bible (Second Helpings) and scoured the net for ideas and tips...and then jumped right in it.

I used the recipe from Baking and Books as she made it seem so simple and easy. I loved her detailed instructions and her tips on braiding.

Overall, I think my bread was very successful with only a few flaws. The dough seemed a little hard to handle so I'm not sure if it needed to be dryer (or maybe wetter?) or if I needed to let the dough rest a while longer. Also, my braiding technique needs some improvement. I think it needs to be braided tighter...

The egg glaze was perfect and added a lot of color to the finished product.


Maybe a little too much color...I think I baked it a bit too long as the top got pretty dark (but at least that made for a good crispy crust).

Even with my few baking flaws, this bread is worth trying to make again.
The smell alone is worth the effort.
I'm looking forward to having a slice tomorrow morning with some apricot jam...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank god you are back, I started to get worried that you don't feel like writing in your blog any more, the bread looks amazing !!!!!

Annie Ruok said...

Yay - a new post!! Bread looks good & sounds like u enjoyed experimenting with it! Enjoy your week off & looking forward to seeing more posts!

Aimée said...

Yum, I love homemade challah and yours looks perfect. I think toasted with jam is the best way to have it.

Anonymous said...

You betterbring some backed goods for us when you visit

AG

Anonymous said...

Sorry I meant BAKED GOODS :)

Anonymous said...

I had SO much challah during the holidays that I thought I'd be sick of it. Seeing this post just makes me want more! There is nothing like fresh, home-baked challah! Mmmmm....

Anonymous said...

Please write down in your agenda to bake a fresh Challah bread for the next Rosh Hashana.... Thank you !

Natalie Sztern said...

try to get hold of a copy of A Treasure to My Daughter. I know that Rona Hardware in Cote St Luc shopping center has one...it has every recipe of ur grandmother and mother and it will go down to ur kids too

Janet said...

That looks beautiful... very impressive. Nice job!