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Tag: yeast bread

  • World’s Best Challah

    World’s Best Challah

    Print Recipe

    WORLD’S BEST CHALLAH BREAD

    This is the classic Thanksgiving recipe — it comes originally from the New York Times Bread and Soup cook book
    Course: Breads, Muffins & Quickbreads
    Cuisine: Jewish
    Keyword: baking, bread, holiday

    Ingredients

    • 5 1/2 –6 1/2 cups bread flour unsifted
    • 3 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 package dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
    • Pinch powdered saffron if threads, crumble well
    • 1 cups warm water 120–130° F.
    • 4 Eggs at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon cold water
    • 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

    Instructions

    • Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixer.
    • Mix in the softened butter.
    • Stir the saffron into the warm water until it dissolves.
    • Add a little at a time to the flour mixture and blend thoroughly. (If using saffron threads, use a fine sieve to filter out the saffron.)
    • Beat for two minutes at medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally.
    • Separate the yolk and white of 1 egg.
    • Blend the single egg white and the other three whole eggs into the batter.
    • Reserve and refrigerate the single egg yolk.
    • Stir 1/2 cup of flour into the batter and beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
    • 1/2 cup at a time, blend in enough additional flour to make a soft dough (4 to 5 cups total).
    • Knead the dough on a lightly floured board (or in the mixer, with a kneading hook) for twelve minutes, or until it is soft and elastic (the longer you knead the dough, the more dense and cake-like the bread will be).
    • Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it once to grease the top.
    • Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk (approximately 1 hour).
    • Flour a pastry board lightly and set the dough on it.
    • Divide the dough into three equal portions.
    • Roll each of these portions into a rope approximately 15 inches long.
    • Braid the lengths together tightly, using the fingers to pinch the ropes together at the ends.
    • Place the braided loaf on a greased baking sheet.
    • Mix the reserved egg yolk with 1 teaspoon cold water and brush the tops of the loaves with this mixture.
    • Sprinkle liberally with poppy seeds, and let the loaf rise until doubled in bulk in a warm, draft-free place (approximately 1 hour).
    • Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.

  • Kabocha Squash Yeast Rolls

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    Kabocha Squash Yeast Rolls

    Great pull-apart rolls!
    Course: Breads, Muffins & Quickbreads
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: bread, rolls

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups cubed winter squash (kabocha or other hard squash)
    • 1 cup scalded milk
    • 2 .25 ounce packages active dry yeast
    • 1/2 cup warm water 110 degrees F/45 degrees C
    • 6 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup white sugar
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/2 cup shortening

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small saucepan, cover squash cubes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash.
    • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture, shortening, squash and milk. Mix well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
    • Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces and form into rounds. Place the rounds in a lightly greased 13×9 inch baking pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
    • Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.