Challah

Challah

(from Silver Palate cookbook)

When I was first learning how to cook I was too ignorant to know how hard it is to be a successful baker so I just plunged in. The truth is there is a touch to baking that can't be taught in a recipe. This recipe is about as foolproof as any baking recipe I've tried. There are two things that I've learned about baking over the years. The first is to follow the directions exactly. Really. Don't freelance. A baking recipe is like a great novel. Everything is there for a specific purpose and it all has to work together. The second thing is to use salt. There's just reallly no substitute in my opinion.

Use a thermometer to check your temperatures but also use your wrists, just as you would to check the formula in a body bottle. Soon enough you'll learn the range that's best for the yeast without having to use the thermometer, though you may continue to do so if it makes you feel better. Cooking and baking at their best access your mind and your senses and your heart. Flow into it.

Ingredients

2 cups milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons salt

6 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon cold water

poppy seeds

Directions

1. Bring milk, 6 tablespoons of butter and the sugar to a boil together in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, put into large mixing bowl and let cool to lukewarm (105-115 degrees F).

2. Stir yeast into the milk mixture and let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Beat 3 of the eggs well in a small bowl, and stir them and the salt into the milk-and-yeast mixture.

4. Stir in 5 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, until you achieve a sticky dough. Flour a work surface lightly and turn the dough out onto it. Wash and dry the bowl.

5. Sprinkle additional flour over the dough and begin kneading, adding more flour as necessary, until you have a smooth elastic dough.

6. Smear the reserved 2 tablespoons butter around the inside of the bowl and add the ball of dough into the bowl, turning to coat it lightly with butter. Cover bowl with a towel and set aside to let dough rise until tripled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into halves. Cut each half into 3 pieces. Roll the pieces out into long "snakes" about 18 inches long. Braid three of the snakes together into a loaf and tuck the ends under. Repeat with remaining snakes.

8. Sprinkle a large baking sheet with the cornmeal and transfer the loaves to the sheet. Leave room between the loaves for them to rise. Cover loaves with the towel and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.

9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

10. Beat the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon of cold water together well in a small bowl. Brush this egg wash evenly over the loaves. Sprinkle immediately with poppy seeds to taste.

11. Set the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20-35 minutes or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when their bottoms are thumped. Cool completely on racks before wrapping.

This recipe yields 2 large loaves. There's a reason for this. Challah commemorates the manna that fell from heaven when the Israelites were wondering the desert for 40 years. By tradition there was no work to be done on the sabbath so on the day before a double portion fell to be gathered and then used.

During the holiday season you can bend the twisted loaves into a wreath and tuck the ends into themselves. It's very pretty and adds a festive touch to the holiday table. Please don't go crazy and add food dye to make it green. Everyone knows that the only green foods you should eat are vegetables and green eggs with ham.