I Ain’t No Challah Back Girl

Let’s just all be honest here. Half the reason I even made this bread was so I could title the post “I Ain’t No Challah Back Girl”. It’s a great pun, right? No? Did you just question my pun abilities? That’s soo not cool.

I promise I am not getting kickbacks from Zoe and Jeff, the authors of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. This book is just that good. There are tons of different breads you can make and all with such minimal effort. As I was perusing through the book one day, I stumbled upon a recipe for Challah bread. Challah bread is a traditional Jewish bread that is made during Sabbath and holiday meals. Some sources say the Challah bread symbolizes the manna provided by God to the Israelites as they wandered through the desert after their escape from Egypt. Easily recognizable by it’s braided appearance, Challah bread is often used in french toast and stuffed with sweet and savory ingredients.

Because of the no-knead method used in the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes book, this Challah bread was a snap to make. Instead of using sugar, honey is the sweetener for this dough. Yeast, eggs, lukewarm water, salt, honey and flour are all combined in a mixing bowl. And there is no kneading!!!! Simply mix until all the ingredients are combined and then allow the dough to rise for at least two hours. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days (the dough can also be frozen).

I will admit that the most difficult part for me was braiding the dough. Rolling out 1 pound of the made dough into three ropes above? Easy. Braiding these ropes into a uniform, somewhat attractive Challah bread? Uhmmmm, not so much.

My braid ended up looking a little lopsided and was way too long, but OH MY GOD, did it taste amazing! Now can one of my neighbors please come take the rest of the loaf before I eat it all?