Challah, Multicolor

photo by Izy Hossack





- Ready In:
- 2hrs 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Yields:
-
12 loaves
- Serves:
- 120
ingredients
- 2 -3 beets
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
- 3 -4 large carrots
- water
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups canola oil, divided plus some extra for bowls
- 2 cups honey, divided
- 12 teaspoons salt, divided
- 28 -32 cups flour (I use a mix of part bread flour and part all-purpose)
- 8 tablespoons instant yeast
- 3 egg whites
directions
- for the vegetable-colored loaves: peel and dice beets and carrot.
- put beets, carrots, and spinach in separate saucepans with enough water to cover by 1/2 inch, and cook each until soft, adding water as needed to keep just under cover.
- in turns, puree each vegetable and its cooking water, adding water as needed to get 2 cups of liquid puree from each vegetable.
- you should now have 2 cups each of spinach, carrot and beet puree. let each cool to just barely warm.
- pour each puree into separate large mixing bowls, and put 1 2/3 cup water into a fourth mixing bowl for standard challah. these will be the 4 separate batches of dough.
- to each liquid add 1/2 cup oil, then 1/2 cup honey.
- hint: pour the oil just before the honey, and the honey will slip right out of the measuring cup.
- mix well, then add 3 eggs to each batch, and mix again.
- to each mix add 3 tsp salt, mix well.
- add 3 cups bread flour to each batch, mix until sloppy.
- add 2 scant Tablespoons instant dry yeast to each batch, mix well.
- continue adding flour (this is where I switch to all-purpose) to each batch until thick enough to turn out and knead.
- one at a time, knead each batch on a floured surface, adding more bread flour as needed.
- the dough has enough flour when it is feeling rather firm, bounces back when you press on it, and feels tacky but not sticky.
- when each batch is done being kneaded, put it back in its mixing bowl, coating the mixing bowl first with a little oil. flip the dough around in the oil to cover entirely with a thin film of oil.
- cover each batch with a large plate, or with heavy plastic wrap, and let sit 45-50 minutes in a warm spot to rise until approximately doubled in size.
- one at a time, flip each batch of dough onto floured surface, knead briefly, and cut and form 12 long strips for braiding. flour each lightly to keep from sticking.
- keep strands in a pile of each color, until all doughs are done being made into strips.
- you now have 4 piles of 12 strips each to braid.
- make 4-strand braids using one strip of each color. (to see a demo of this, GO TO-->).
- http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tipTechniqueView.cfm?objectid=11754DCC-E8FC-4498-A0F52DD050659A71.
- put loaves on parchment-covered baking sheets, cover well with plastic wrap or with a large plastic tablecloth, and let rise 30-45 minutes in a warm spot, until doubled in size.
- add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup water to 3 egg whites and mix well.
- use egg white mixture to glaze loaves after rising is done, using a soft bristle pastry brush.
- bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, or until nicely browned and sounding hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf.
- cool on racks.
- freezes well.
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Reviews
-
Made these for a Hafrashat Challah for a group of students. It was fun, though most had to leave before we baked them. Basically, I made the colors in advance, then warmed them in the microwave, and the girls split into 4 groups, each group making a batch of dough. Haven't tasted this batch yet, but the first time I helped make these, they were very tasty. The only downside is having to make the colors ahead, as especially the beets take a loooooonnnnnnggggg time to soften. This time isn't included in the prep time....
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
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I am a busy mom of small children by day, and I work part-time as a doctor at night. I am trying to find the ever-elusive balance between career-track and mommy-track. Cooking and baking bring me joy, and I love to see my kids eat healthy homemade foods. I have relatives with a local organic farm, so I use their produce as much as possible. Yum!
After some trial and error with rating recipes for various contests and tag games, I think I will from now on stick to the definitions provided by Zaar:
3 stars means I liked it! I might have had to make some adjustments, though.
4 stars means I LOVED it! Almost no adjusting was necessary.
5 stars means one of the most outstanding things I have ever tasted! Stands, as is, as a fabulous dish.
I can't imagine giving only 1 or 2 stars -- that would mean that I either picked a recipe that I should have known wouldn't suit my taste, or that I really messed up while making the recipe.
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