Challah Bread

Am starting again my three days of blogging marathon today, my theme for this week is Christmas special. Christmas, love this festival and we never failed to celebrate it every year with loads of foods,chocolates and gifts.I cant imagine my christmas dinner table without a bread obviously my first recipe goes for a celebration bread. Challah bread is a celebration bread in Jewish tradition, this bread goes for a rich dough with a mild sweet. Challah bread sounds almost like brioche bread, eggs are added to enrich the dough and milk or butter is not used in this bread dough as this bread may be eaten with meat.This bread goes for a fabulous texture,excellent flavour and beautiful braid.

Nothing will beat the smell of the freshly baked challah,you can go for three,four and six braids for making this challah bread. Mine is a 4 braided challah bread, thanks to youtube, i simply went through this video to make easily my 4 braids.I really enjoyed making this challah bread and my kids loved it with nutella spread.You can easily finish up this challah bread as french toast to whip up on christmas morning if you have served this challah bread with meats for a christmas evening.Do check Champa, Srivalli, Sumana Deepak,Veena,Jayasri and Preeti Deo wat they baked for the 8th day of bake-a-thon. Also check out the other bloggers running this 23rd edition of blogging marathon here.Sending to 60days of Christmas hosted by Priya and Divya.

4cups All purpose flour
2tsp Instant yeast
1/4cup Sugar
1tsp Salt
2nos Large eggs
1no Egg Yolk
1/4cup Oil
1/2cup Water
Few Sugar pearls

Egg wash:
1no Egg yolk
1tbsp Water

In a lare bowl, combine the eggs,egg yolk,oil and water, stir well.

Mix in the flour,yeast,sugar,salt and knead everything together to form a stiff dough,knead well for few more minutes until the dough turns soft and smooth dough.

Transfer the dough to a greased large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap,let it sit in a warm place until its doubled in size for about 2hours.Gently press down the dough,reflate it and cover it again, let it sit again for about an another hour.

Take the dough in a lightly floured surdace, divide into two large balls and again divide each balls into two more medium balls again.

Roll each balls as a long rope,line them side by side, pinch the pieces together at one end and start braiding.

Check here to know how to make 4 braided Challah

Transfer it to the baking sheet lined over a baking tray, let it sit again in a warm place for half an hour.

Meanwhile mix the egg yolk and water for egg wash.Preheat the oven to 350F.

Brush generously the rised braided bread with the egg wash,springle the sugar pearls generously.

Bake the bread for 30-35minutes or until the crust turns golden bread.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.