Challah - A traditional Jewish bread

Challah - A traditional Jewish bread

Serves: 2 - 3

You will need

3/4 teaspoon dried yeast
2 teaspoon sugar
50 ml water
350 g plain flour / maida
1/2 teaspoon salt
80 ml lukewarm water
2 tablespoon soft butter
1 beaten egg yolk

Method

For yeast:

Dissolve yeast in 50 ml lukewarm water with sugar.Cover and keep in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes or until it begins to froth. Yeast solution will be double in quantity.

For the dough:

Sift flour and salt. Mix with soft butter. Add yeast solution to dough and make a soft dough with 80 ml lukewarm water. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for at least 2 - 2 1/2 hours to rise. The dough should be double in size.

Knead again and divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for another 1 hour.

Final preparation:

Preheat oven (OTG) at 180 * C or 350 *F.

On a floured surface roll 3 parts of the dough into 8 - inch long sausage shapes and plait the 3 together. Keep the plaited bread on a well - greased baking tray and brush the whole surface with beaten egg yolk.

Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 - 45 minutes, or until golden color. Cool on a wire rack.