Recently I have been trying to make more things from scratch. Not only is it healthier but most of the time its far more cost effective than buying ready made.
I posted about my pasta sauce the other day. The total cost of that was under ₪10 (about R35). It was also sugar and preservative free and was totally delicious.
I also want to start making my own burger patties and pizza bases.
One of the things I’ve been making myself each week is our Shabbat challah. I started off making it because I got myself a stand mixer with a dough hook and it is just so easy but now I make it because its cheaper, healthier, tastes amazing and its really special to have homemade challah on a Friday night too.
I have reduced the original recipe to make 2 small medium sized challot but the original recipe makes enough for 4 challot or 2 challot and a dozen cinnamon rolls. Here is my amended recipe.
- 3/4 cups warm water
- 2 teaspoons instant/dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour (approx)
- 1 egg for brushing
- sesame seeds/kosher salt/herbs for topping
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Place water, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl.
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Leave for about 5 minutes or until it starts foaming.
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Add eggs, oil, salt.
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Add 3 cups of flour and start mixing.
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Slowly add the 4th cup of flour until the dough becomes smooth and not sticky.
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You may need more or less flour, go by feel.
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Either kneed by hand or with a dough hook on your mixer until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
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When the dough is ready, lightly oil your bowl and place the dough inside.
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Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise for about an hour or until double in size.
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Kneed down and divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
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Form 2 challot, either by plaiting or forming rounds.
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Turn the oven to 180C and let the challot sit, covered until the oven is ready.
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Brush challot with beaten egg and top with desired topping.
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Bake for 30 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
This recipe is adapted from Sy's Challah on AllRecipes.
Your breads always look amazing!