by Diana
For Easter Sunday - seven weeks ago now- I switched on my bread making engine but seem to have forgotten my Catholic brain as I didn’t have a better idea than to experiment with nonetheless than a Jewish challah recipe! I could use the excuse of the Passover meal Jesus celebrated with His disciples on Easter Thursday, but challah was of course not part of the menu. They ate a better type of bread instead...
I don’t often make bread as I am too impatient. For this nutty and spiced challah version I had to do the starter three times! I cursed 'Allison’s' easy bake ‘inactive’ yeast and appropriately, the depression essay I was working for my CBT course. But persistence does pay off, as my husband has role-modelled for me over the course of the last ten years! meaning that our now forgotten Easter Sunday dessert was a warm slice of multicultural and sinful concoction topped with a scoop and a half of half price branded vanilla ice cream. I hope you try it at home too, perhaps to celebrate Pentecost now as per my delay in posting this recipe - it’s so much easier than it seems plus really fun and rewarding. You can also play with the fillings. Enjoy!
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| © The Teaspoon |
Ingredients
For the dough:
120 ml milk
85 g honey
120 g butter
360 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 + 1/4 teaspoons active-dry yeast
2 large eggs
For the filling:
120 g butter (room temperature)
160 muscavado sugar
220 g walnuts - chopped - I used a combination of almonds and walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Teaspoon cacao powder - optional
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
Method
For the dough:
In a small saucepan combine the milk, honey and butter at medium heat until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool down for approximately 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and the yeast. Add the above milk mixture and mix until smooth. Incorporate the eggs and mix well. Use your hands to knead the dough in a clean floured surface.
The dough should be soft and non sticky. Add a few more tablespoons of flour if needed. Continue to knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour. Then punch down the dough and knead again for a couple of minutes.
To assemble the challah:
In a bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, nuts, spices and chocolate (if using) and mix until smooth but crumbly.
Divide the dough in 3 pieces of equal size. Work on the three pieces separately. Place each piece on a floured surface and roll into a rectangle of approximately 0.5cm h. Sprinkle one third of the nut and spice mixture on top of the dough. Then roll up the dough and set aside. Repeat the above steps with the other 2 pieces of dough.
Once all 3 pieces are rolled place them in a baking tray prepared with parchment paper. Braid the pieces together and tuck the ends underneath. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place again until doubled its size, for approximately 30-45 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 350F/175C.
Beat 1 egg with a teaspoon of water and brush the loaf with this mixture. Bake until golden in colour, for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the centre is cooked. Allow to cool down before slicing.
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| © The Teaspoon |
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| © The Teaspoon |
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| © The Teaspoon |
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| © The Teaspoon |
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