Sourdough Challah Bread is light and fluffy. We are here to find this Sourdough Challah Recipe. This soft bread is made from discarded sourdough. It has a slight tang. Challah makes beautiful bread for special occasions. It is also great for sandwiches and breakfast.
This Sourdough Challah recipe is one the most softening bread. It can be braided with three or four strands.
What is a Sourdough Discard Challah Bread?
This recipe for sourdough bread challah is a braided yeasted bread that uses sourdough discard. Challah is a traditional Jewish bread eaten on the Sabbath and other important holidays. A challah is not made with dairy and is therefore considered kosher.
The bread may be known by other names, such as koylatch or kitke, cholla and chalka, and even khala. Because of the number of eggs used in the recipe, challah is yellower than other bread.
Sourdough Challah will not have a sour taste. This bread will taste different from traditional sourdough bread. This bread will be mildly sourdough-flavored because it is made with discarded and dry yeast. It has the fluffiest consistency because it’s made with the discard.
How Does Challah Bread Taste?
Challah is made from eggs and sugar. It is rich but not too sweet. This bread is very tender and soft because it uses some sourdough scrap.
Ingredients
Levain:
- 113g very active, fully fermented starter for sourdough at 100% hydration
- Warm water: 113g
- 226g bread flour
Final Dough:
- Warm water: 1/4 cup (60g)
- 3 large eggs, plus 1 for glazing( you can replase of egg wash)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (8 grams) salt
- 1/4 cup (55g) vegetable oil
- 3 TBSP (65g) mild honey OR 1/3 cup (60%) sugar
- About 3 cups (400g) of bread flour
- Optional Toppings: sesame or poppy seeds
Make the Sourdough Tang at Night:
The sourdough starter acts as a larger, more specific hydration starter. To make the stiff 50% hydration lain, you will need 1/2 cup of 100% active and fed hydration starter. This weighs approximately 113g.
Mix the active 100% hydration starter, 113g warm water, and 226g bread flour in a large bowl. Mix everything until well combined. Mix until well combined. This is a stiff starter, so mixing all the flour in may take some effort. Don’t add any water. It may take some kneading for the flour to mix well. It’s okay if some of the flour doesn’t blend in. Just get as much flour as you can.
Place the bowl in a plastic wrap or lid and let it rest on the counter for 8-12 hours.
Make the dough.
Get out a large bowl and mix it up in the morning.
In a large bowl, combine the warm water with the eggs, honey, vegetable oil, and salt. Mix until the salt dissolves.
Mix the flour with your hands or a spoon.
Scrape the mixture onto your work surface when it is a fuzzy lump.
Mix the levain you made the night before and knead the dough until it is smooth. It should take approximately 10 minutes to do this by hand. To prevent the dough from sticking to your counter, lightly dust it with flour while you knead. The dough should feel like modeling clay. It should also be easy to work with, even though it may be a bit sticky. Add a tablespoon of water to the dough if it is difficult to knead. Add a tablespoon of flour to make the dough more elastic.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the enriched dough
in it.
Bulk Ferment
Let the dough ferment at room temperature for two hours. The dough will rise little, if any.
Braiding and Shaping Challah
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
For a four-strand challah, divide the dough into four even balls. Divide the dough into six balls if you are making a 6 odd.
Each ball should be rolled into a thin, long strip about the same size as the baking sheet. Work from the center out. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes if it becomes too elastic.
Place the strips on a baking sheet. Bring the top points together. Then, pinch the four strands together.
Please start with the right strand and pass it over to the next, then under the third, and finally over the fourth.
Please continue with the strand to the right, passing it under and over the other.
Continue braiding until the end.
To prevent the ends from coming together, pinch the ends and place the loaf under your feet.
Proofing
Place the loaf on a baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the loaf proof for 5 hours. It will take time, depending on how hot and humid your house is. If it is colder, it may take longer. If it is warmer, it might take less. The time is optional, but the dough is. When gently press the dough with your knuckle, it will be fully proofed.
Baking the Challah
Arrange your oven racks so that one is in the upper third of the oven and nothing else.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Let it heat up for at least 15 minutes before you bake.
Mix the egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt.
Apply the egg glaze to the loaf.
You can either sprinkle the loaf with sesame seeds or poppy seeds or leave it as is.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. To promote even browning, rotate the baking pan in the oven after the 20 minute mark. You can tent the bread with foil if it browns too quickly.
Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack. It is possible for some baking to occur while the bread is cooling. Please wait until it has cooled completely before cutting it.
FAQ
Which Flour is Best for Making Challah Bread?
The dough will stretch nicely if it has a high gluten content. You can make challah with either flour.
Is it Possible to Make Challah Dough from Scratch?
You can still make all the bread yourself. It is essential to have a clean workspace. Remember that once you form the dough, it must be kneaded by hand for approximately 10 minutes.
Why is My Challah so Hard?
Hard challah can often be caused by overbaking or too much flour in the kneading process. Bake the challah at 190 to 200oF.
Conclusion
I m shure that you will love this sourdough challah recipe. I love baking such delicious things. My blog contains many exciting recipes.