Challah (holla!)

Usually I only blog about the things I make, not because I am a raging narcissist (I promise)--but rather because I'm never quite sure how to share things that others have made, without feeling like an appropriative jerk. But since we're about to talk about my husband, I think it will be okay.

So my husband, he made Challah. I think we've discussed this before, the fact that my husband is half Jewish, if we haven't, well, he is. His father was also a baker for a number of years (strangely enough, so was my mother. Both Virgos. Freaky), so I guess baking is in his genes as much as it is in mine. But he's just such a guy! He likes bicycles and power tools!

...and then, he made bread.

Why Challah? Aside from, you know, genetics or whatever? Chickens. 95% chickens, 5% genetics is the breakdown that I'd associate with this particular need to make egg bread. We have two backyard chickens, which though it may not seem like much, easily keeps our family in eggs. Sometimes too many eggs. 

Also, this book:

A hilarious gift from my mother-in-law to my husband two (ironically) Christmases ago. It contains a recipe for Challah, as well as a few recipes for knuckle sandwiches.

Myla's Challah Recipe 

from Jew-Jitsu: The Hebrew Hands of Fury
makes one

Ingredients 
   2 teaspoons active dry yeast
   1 1/2 cups warm water
   1 teaspoon sugar
   1/2 cup honey
   1/2 cup vegetable oil
   1 1/2 teaspoons salt
   9 cups flower
   4 eggs (we agreed that 5 eggs would probably be better; it was lacking at 4)

Directions

1. Dissolve sugar in 1 cup of warm water. Add yeast. Set aside for a bit until it starts to bubble. 
2. Meanwhile, beat 4 eggs into honey, add the other 1/2 cup of warm water, oil, and salt. Add the yeast and water. Add 1 cup flour at a time, up to 7 cups in the mixture, beating each in with a wooden spoon. Beat until the mixture stops sticking to the sides of teh bowl.
3. Spread the remaining 2 cups of flour and knead dough until it can hold no more flour. Let sit in bowl, covered, to rise, until doubling in size (about 1 or 2 hours).
4. Punch down the dough; break into 3 equal pieces, braid together, place on a baking sheet and let rise, covered, for 30 minutes, again doubling in size (get your shiksa wife to braid the bread for you, if you're like my husband) 
5. Brush with remaining egg and some water, bake in a preheated 350 oven for 25 minutes or until golden.