Sunday, October 2, 2011

Sweet Challot

It's been a really long time since I've posted a new challah recipe, because I've been making the same one every week, but I figured that Rosh HaShana was the perfect time to try the Sweet Challot recipe in my favorite Israeli challah book. What makes this recipe unique is the addition of grape juice in place of some of the water. I thought this would be sugar overload (Israeli grape juice is on the very sweet side) in addition to the two cups of sugar but they turned out to be not in your face sweet at all. The texture was great and these froze beautifully. My sister froze them and took them out as needed- the texture barely suffered at all. I shaped these into rounds, as is customary for this season, as the rounds symbolize the continuing circle of life, etc. I made different types of rounds: one using a four stranded weave, a couple of coils, some twists that were coiled or knotted. I just had fun. Challah was amazing served with my sister's one of a kind homemade apple butter. Delicious! Shana tova, everyone! As usual, check out this week's Yeastspotting!

Sweet Challot
adapted from The Blessing in the Dough

2 1/2 kilo flour
3 tbsp instant yeast
2 tbsp salt
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 cups white grape juice
3 cups water, or as needed
1-2 eggs, for glaze

Make your challah dough as per your usual.
Here are my proofed and glazed breads. Bake at 350 until a thermometer registers around 185 or until the loaves are deeply golden on top and bottom.
Nice and baked!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shana Tova! This looks good--I wonder if you could use all grape juice to make mezonot challah rolls?

Winnie said...

The challahs look great!
And the recipe is very interesting!

I've never heard of challah with grape juice (I remember you mentioning it in one of your comments...), and I'd like to give it a try.
I think it cannot be used for "hamotzi" (it's mezonot due to the grape juice) and I must give it a try anyway

Shanna tova and Gmar Hatima Tova :)