Potato Flake Sourdough Challah
Make this traditional Jewish Challah bread using a potato flake sourdough starter! Challah's intricately braided golden-brown crust, sweet taste, and a fluffy interior with a slightly dense crumb, make it a delicious treat for any occasion, not just Jewish holidays!
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a dough hook
- measuring cups and spoons
- Large cookie sheet
- Dough Scraper and cutter
- Basting brush
Ingredients
- 4 cups Bread Flour
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 3/4 cup Active Potato Flake Starter
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil or Butter
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Honey
- 2 Whole Eggs + one egg yolk
- 1 Whole egg for egg wash
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
- Combine the active potato flake starter, oil, honey, 2 whole eggs, and the egg yolk.
- Knead on medium-low speed until you have a sticky dough that clings to the bottom of the bowl, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Dust your hands with flour if the dough is too sticky to handle, then scrape the sticky, elastic dough out and shape into a ball. Place it back into the bowl, or another large bowl.
- Once placed into the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap to ensure that it does not dry out. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, spot until it's puffy and almost doubled in size. A warm oven that is turned off with the light on is a perfect spot. In this environment, my dough was risen in 5-6 hours.
- Using your dough scraper, remove the risen dough onto a clean work surface. If it is too sticky, dust with flour. If you are able to handle it without the added flour, this will make the shaping a bit easier because the strands will slightly stick to the counter instead of shrinking back. Cut the dough into four even pieces.
- Stretch and roll each piece into a rope about 20 inches long. If they keep shrinking back, work with each rope stretching and rolling as much as it will allow and move to the next, coming back to the beginning and starting over again. This time will allow the dough to rest enough to allow the gluten to relax and it will eventually stretch to the 20 inches.
- Vertically lay the ropes parallel to one another on the work surface. Pinch the ropes tightly together at the top, then spread them out a bit.
- Begin by taking the strand farthest to the right and weave it toward the left through the other strands using this pattern: over, under, over. Repeat this pattern, making sure to always start with the strand farthest to the right. Do this until the whole loaf is braided.
- Tuck the ends under to give the loaf a beautiful finished look.
- Carefully transfer the braided loaf to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the braid is about one and a half times the size. In a turned off warm oven with the light on this took about 4-5 hours.
- After the second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. The loaf will continue to rise as it bakes in the oven.
- In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg and brush the beaten egg generously over the risen dough. If you wish, you can sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds onto the challah before putting it in the oven.
- To prevent the bottom of the dough from browning too much, you can place the baking sheet the Challah braid is on, on top of another baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the crust is a rich brown color and the internal temperature is 190°F on thermometer. If the top begins to brown too much before the bread is done, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to stop it from over-browning.
- Remove the bread from the oven and place it on a rack to cool. Challah is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep for a few days in a sealed plastic bag. The leftovers make a delicious french toast!
Notes
Remember, rising times are approximate and may vary based on kitchen temperature and humidity.
This also applies to flour, adjust your flour ratio according to your dough. The amount of flour needed all depends on how it is scooped, how packed it is in the measuring cup, the humidity of the environment and the flour itself.
Challah can be baked, cooled, wrapped tightly, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.