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| with chocolate chips |
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| plain with sesame seeds on top |
Daryl and I met a few years ago while we were traveling the world. We instantly hit it off, not just because our Mediterranean backgrounds, but our love for baking (which maybe is a Mediterranean thing, too).
We have sweet memories cooking together- recipes like rugelach, hamantaschen, Matzo brei, and Matzo ball soup. We even did a pop-up dinner in Argentina one night and it was an experience we will never forget. We laugh thinking back on it. Just imagine the challenges of jumping into a foreign kitchen as two women in Argentina!
Now, this covid thing would not stop us from cooking and baking together. So, this is it. We made Challah together virtually and its Oh-My-God kind of good.
This recipe is easy and foolproof like all the other recipes Daryl has shared with me. So, I consider it a true gift!
The recipe is below and the video as well. Fast forward if you want to skip our little banter in the beginning. lol
7-Ingredient Dairy-Free Challah by Daryl
Ingredients for 1 loaf:
– 2 tsp. (1packet) active dry yeast
– 1 tsp. honey, plus 3 Tbsp.
– ⅔ cup warm water
– ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
– 1 tsp. salt
– 2 eggs, plus 1 for egg wash
– 4ish cups of flour (more like 3.5)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix yeast, 1 tsp. honey, and water together. Wait for yeast to get foamy to make sure its activated
2. Then, add the salt, 3 Tbsp. honey, oil and 2 eggs. Mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Then, add flour 1 cup at a time. Stop at 3 cups. Then, turn out dough and need on a work surface. Knead for 5 minutes. If it still sticks to your hands, add a little more flour. You should be able to form it into a nice, smooth ball.
4. Oil a medium bowl with a teaspoon oil. Coat the bowl with your oily hands. Then, place the ball of dough into the bowl and smear some oil on it. Cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour, or doubled in size.
5. Then, turn out dough onto lightly floured work surface again. Divide in 3 or 4 sections- these will become your braids. Roll them out into long ropes- but not too long. They should fit the length of your baking tray.
6. Braid the ropes together and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Let rise another hour.
8. Once it’s risen, brush with 1 beaten egg. Top with sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. It should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. This means its done!
More Jewish favorites by Daryl:
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