I am so proud of my heritage, the history of where I came from, and how I grew up. I always would incorperate that into the dishes that I made, and still try to do that today. I love my middle-eastern roots, and I try to fix that into anything that I create. There is something about baking challah on a Friday afternoon that just reminds me of when I was a little girl. As a little jewish girl living in the suburbs of Chicago, I always looked forward to Friday Night Dinners. With those dinners came the prep, which also including baking challah bread from scratch. I loved watching my mom prepare the food, and as I got older I also had the chance to be her helper. I think that is where my love for food and cooking came from. I would always watch and observe every single step, and soak in everything that I saw. My favorite part was actually making the recipes my own, and adding my special touch to them.
During the past few years I have been so busy with work that I have lost sight of a lot of things that have been important to me. This pandemic has really had a silver lining for me. It has taught me to slow down, to relax, to remember not to forget the important things in life, and in general has helped me refocus and prioritive what is important for me. I have now come to realize and learn that I can have it all. I can have a great job, I can make the money that I want, and still have the freedom to live my life the way I choose to live it. I have learned to not live my life for anyone else, but to live it first and foremost for myself. Not in a selfish way, but in a way that makes me happy, in a way that helps me really enjoy life. I have always wanted to start a blog, but working 12 hour days, 6 days a week, I always made exuses, especially saying that I just didn't have the time. Now there are no excuses, with being at home due to this situation that we are all in, I have finally decided to make that leap, and do something that I have always wanted to do. To start a blog filled with recipes, advice, and tips for everyone, but especially for gastric sleeve patients like me.
In these posts, however many there will be, it will be an inside look into my life through different recipes that I love. I have always enjoyed telling a story through food, and now I finally have the chance to share that with the world. There will be tips, advice, and of course many tasty recipes to share. So lets dive into what we came here for: THE FOOD. Here is a close up look to Surviving my sleeve: a journey of a gastric sleeve patient.
So for the perfect challah recipe it really is all about one thing: the texture and how you prepare the dough. It is very important to measure everything properly otherwise you will end up with challah that is either hard as a rock or under cooked. I love my mom's recipe, and no matter how many times I make it, it always turns out the same: AMAZING!
The first step is to prepare your dough. Set all your ingredient out in front of you measured out. That way when you start to add everything together, it will make the process quick and easy. You will need: flour, salt, sugar, dry yeast, eggs, and warm water. (recipe and ingredients/amounts are listed below.) If desired you can also add butter for a creamy consistancy.
Set up two separte large sized bowls. In one bowl mix together the flour, salt, and half of the sugar. Once that is mixed set it aside. In the other bowl mix together the eggs, yeast, and second half of the sugar. You will need to beat that together until it becomes frothy.
Once you have done that, create a whole in the flour mixture, and pour the egg mixture into that hole. Slowly fold the mixures together. After you fold a few times, add the water in slowly. Each time fold everything together, and then slowly add more water until you have poured in the entire amount. The dough should be sticky, but you should still be able to create a solid piece of dough. Once you have created your ball of dough you will need to let it rise and relax before creating your actual braided challahs.
Set your ball of dough in a greased or floured bowl. Wrap the bowl or cover with a towel and then let it rise for between one-two hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. Tip: set the dough to rise in a warmer area so that it will rise faster.
Once your dough has risen, push out all the air from it. This will prevent your challahs from having pockets filled with air while baking in the oven. Split the dough into 3 large balls, or if you are making mini challahs, into 3 pieces times however many challas you are making. Take one of the mini balls and roll is out into a snake like shape, then do this for the other two balls. Now the braiding begins. Take the left outer piece and fold it over the middle piece, now take the middle piece and fold it over the right side piece. Repeat these steps until you have braided the entire challah. When you are done, set all of your challahs on a baking sheet lines with parchment paper. Set your oven in the meantime to 350 degrees to preheat it.
In a separate small bowl, beat one egg, and add a pinch of salt or sugar/honey if you are making sweet challahs. Brush the egg mixture on the challahs, and top with either sesame seeds or brown sugar and cinnamin for sweet challahs. Once you have brushed the challahs, put the tray in the oven and bake for no more than 30 minutes. You will see that they slowly start to turn gold brown.
Once they are done, remove the challahs from the oven, and let them cool for 5 mintues. You can eat them either warm or cool. I personally prefer them warm. There is nothing more delicious than warm homemade challah bread for shabbat dinner.
Enjoy!
Mom's Challah Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
3 eggs
4 cups plain white flour
2 packets dry yeast
2 cups warm water
pinch of salt
2 cups white sugar
Recipe:
1. In a large bowl mix the flour, half the sugar, and the salt. Set the bowl aside.
2. In a second large bowl, wisk together the eggs, yeast, and the other half of the sugar. Wisk until it becomes frothy.
3. Take the bowl with the flour mixture, and create a hole in the middle of the bowl. Slowly pour the egg and yeast mixture into the hole. Fold the ingredients together.
4. Slowly add the warm water into the mixed dough. Fold a few times, and then add more water. Repeat these steps until you have added all the water in the dough. The dough should be a bit sticky, but you should be able to create a ball of dough (solid piece).
5. Set the ball of dough in a greased or floured bowl, and cover with a towl or plastic wrap. Make sure the bowl is sealed, and set it aside to rise in a warm area. Let the dough rise for one-two hours, or until it has doubled in size.
6. Once the dough has risen, take out all the air pockets, and separte into three smaller balls. Take each ball and roll them into snake or long log shaped pieces. Take the three pieces and create a braid by placing one piece over the other.
7. Take your braided challahs, and set them on a lined baking sheet.
8. In a small bowl wisk together one egg along with seasoning depending if your challahs are sweet or savory. For savory challahs you can add salt, pepper or parsley. For sweet you can add sugar or honey.
9. Brush the egg mixture you created on the challas. Top with either sesame seeds or brown sugar and cinnamin if you made sweet challahs.
10. Put your challahs in the oven, and let them bake at 350 degrees for no more than 30 minutes. Your challas should be golden brown all around the top, and a bit lighter brown on the bottom.
11. Let your challas cool for 5 minutes and serve for shabbat dinner and blessings.
12. This recipe makes two large braided challas, or several mini challas depending on size chosen.
Enjoy, Shabbat Shalom.
Tip: for kid friendly sweet challahs, you can add chocolate chips to the dough or cinnamin and raisins. You can also make them into small rolls instead of braided challahs.
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