… so my trip to Edinburgh was crudely cancelled yesterday… it’s a long story… but it feels so weird to be packed and ready to go with tickets in hand only to find yourself back in your kitchen…
… turning it into a blessing, this gives me a few days breathing space to gather my thoughts and recharge the batteries. I can spend some much needed time with The Viking and catch up with all those niggling little chores that need doing around the house…
… and last night, instead of driving down to the airport I made bread, chollah to be precise… I was inspired by Susan from The Spice Garden who recently made a wonderful batch of chollah breads that somehow called out to me…
… ive tried a new recipe here taken from the WI book of Bread, of all places but I’ve adapted it slightly after reading up on baking cholla on a Jewish food website. This cholla takes 3 rises, the last one overnight in the fridge.
Chollah Bread
i’ve made one flat on the oven tray and the other in a loaf tin just to see how they come out…
700g strong white bread flour
1 and a 1/2 teaspoons salt
80g unsalted butter
2 generous teaspoons of honey
2 teaspoons fast action dried yeast
3 large eggs – beaten
8ft oz warm milk
1 egg beaten for the glaze
– place the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter
– stir in the yeast
– place the honey into the milk and warm it gently, then add this and the beaten egg to the flour
– using a rubber spatula, bring it together until a dough forms, then turn it our onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until soft.
– place it into an oiled bowl or bag and let it rise until doubled in size
– knead again for 5 minutes, then place it back in the bowl or bag and let it rise again, till doubled
– once risen, gently divide it into 2 halves, then split each half into three equal portions.
– gently roll each portion into a long sausage shape and plait into a loaf.
– brush with egg and then refrigerate over night.
– in the morning, brush with egg again and then bake on 190c for 15-20 minutes until golden and risen
eat and of course, enjoy!
Sorry to hear about the cancelled trip – very frustrating.
The bread looks wonderful, I can smell it from here!
A little something to make you smile:
A young cheffy duck from Bell-eau
Was given his own T.V. show
He made souffles in dishes
Cooked succulent fishes
And won three awards in a row!
Crappy about your trip…I requested the sunshine just for you! Great looking bread, I love chollah…especially with chopped egg!… Enjoy your few days off xx
Shame about your cancelled trip, but it will be good for you to slow down and draw breath. The bread looks lovely!
If I do any one thing before the year is out it will be to make this bread. That is one gorgeous loaf. I was watching a cooking show on TV and they made the most delicious looking french toast from your Chollah bread. Sorry about your cancelled trip. I'm off to the mountains of New Hampshire to bring my daughter who is at school a crock pot full of stew.
What a pity your trip was cancelled. The bread looks like a good compensation though!
Did you prefer the appearance of the one in the tin or the freeform one? (I'd happily eat either!)
The WI bread book is one of my favourite- I haven't baked this one yet though Dom. It looks very very good! Sorry to hear about your trip being cancelled but I'm sure a few relaxed days will be much appreciated by you… and The Viking as he gets to enjoy this bread!
bummer about the trip, but i'm glad you turned it into a blessing. the bread looks gorgeous!!
Challah always looks so stunning and the perfect bread for the holidays. It really makes a mean French Toast too, if there are any leftovers of course.
Are you going to tell us what happened about the trip? Inquiring minds want to know. The word “chollah” makes me want to say gesundheit. (Oh, come on, that's just a joke.) I used to be organist in a synagogue for a number of years but I can't remember what part of the year calls for chollah. Or is it something you have any time?
hi Stephen, it is eaten any time of the year but traditionally it's the sabbath bread, so on a Friday night x
Aw what a shame that your trip was cancelled, is it going to be rescheduled? THANKS for your kind and supportive comments on my blog today, I am still reeling from the shock!
YOUR Challah bread looks fabulous, so glossy on top and light and airy inside….I love the WI cookbooks too.
Karen
Oh yummy – sort of jewish brioche then? Would make excellent bread and butter pudding with extra honey. Sorry your trip to Edinburgh was cancelled because the weather up here has been rather nice. Let me know if you are coming up again, it's only an hour on the train for me to get to Edinburgh.
This bread looks good enough to get me over my yeast “thing”!!!
Really sorry about the missed trip – hope it happens soon.
I've never made chollah, but I can almost feel my late Jewish grandmother reading this and urging me to have a go. Looks golden and beautiful – where would you rank it on the breadmaking difficulty scale?
Must admit that leaving a bread to rise overnight in the fridge is such a perfect thing to do – fresh baked bread first thing in the morning – what a way to start the day!
Is this much different from the recipe you gave us for FFTO?
I love the look of your kitchen. Gorgeous colours. We don't get kitchens like that in Australia.
The bread looks excellent. I do like WI recipe books – I somehow feel they'll never let you down like a celebrity chef might.
I simply have to make this bread. I love the shot of it in the pan.
Every cloud has a silver lining…This bread looks like a very good silver lining.
Happy memories of making your chollah earlier in the year. Edinburgh can wait!
Such a shame you didn't get to Edinburgh but I am glad to see you made good use of your time instead ;0)
Fantastic bread – love the shape and the nice shiny top. I'm with the others, Edinburgh can wait 😉
We made this on my bread making course and did complicated plaiting too. I selflessly, but rather regretfully gave it away to friends as a thank you, so never got to actually taste it – yours looks so deliciously inviting.
Mmmm! Those braids are just so beautiful! … About the rise time … my recipe called for two rise times … this challah thing is a definite investment of time, but oh, what great bread! I am making an apple and raisin bread pudding with that rolled cinnamon sugar challah that I made! We have gone through the other three loaves … what incredible toast! I bet yours is the same light fluffy texture!
And … I hope there's an Edinburgh redux in the cards for you! XO
Darl, this looks fab, but unless I am stupid, I can't see the butter anywhere in the ingredients. Can you advise? I have always wanted to make challah, please don't dash my hopes now!
And ANOTHER thing (sorry to be a pedant, an inquiring mind is a terrible thing to have) – after the overnight rise in the fridge, do you have to let the dough come to room temp before it goes in the oven?
Yours, Pedantic of Wellington
all you need is the chopped liver or egg & onion to go with the challah – it looks so good.
LoL mummy