Seth Godin asked about old recipes for challah. According to "Inside
the Jewish Bakery" by Ginsberg & Berg (ISBN 978-1-933822-23-5), there
were a huge number of different varieties of bread used for the
Sabbath, each with its own name. In America, the word challah (which
dates back to the 1400's) replaced all the other names.
Recipes varied by location, sometimes even between neighboring towns,
and by the level of affluence of the community. Ginsberg and Berg
present five recipes for different types of challah. Here is one of them.
Reggie & Jeff
Rich Sourdough Barches
This recipe approximates the challah of Rabbi Isserlein of 15th
century Austria. It starts with the preparation of a sourdough sponge
on Thursday evening. A small amount of yeast is added to the dough on
Friday morning to shorten the fermentation and proofing time without
affecting the flavor. The oil and egg in these challahs will keep
them moist for days, making this recipe ideal for those who prefer to
bake their Shabbes loaves a day or two ahead of time.
Makes two 24oz loaves.
Thursday evening:
1 2/3 cups (8.2oz/230g) bread flour
1 cup (8.2oz/230g) warm (90F/32C) water
1/4 cup (2.0oz/55g) sourdough starter
Combine the flour, water and sourdough starter in a medium-sized
mixing bowl, cover and put in a warm place until it doubles in volume
and is soft and bubbled on surface, 8 to 12 hours.
Friday morning:
3 1/2 cups (25.0oz/710g) bread flour, unsifted
1 Tbs (0.6oz/18g) table salt
1 Tbs (0.6oz/18g) granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp (0.1oz/6g) instant yeast
1 cup (8.0oz/225g) water
1 1/2 cups (18.0oz/510g) sourdough sponge (above)
3/4 cup + 2 Tbs (7.0oz/200g) beaten egg
1/3 cup (3.2oz/90g) vegetable oil
2 Tbs (0.5oz/14g) poppy, chernushka, or sesame seed for sprinkling (optional)
1 large egg (for glaze)
In a separate bowl, beat the one egg for glaze gently with a fork and
refrigerate until needed.
Combine the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a mixing bowl or
the bowl of a mixer. Blend with the flat (paddle) beater at low (KA
2) speed for 1 minute.
Combine the sourdough sponge and water and add to the dry ingredients
along with the egg and vegetable oil. Mix until the dough is fully
hydrated, about 2 minutes.
If using the stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead at low
(KA 2) speed for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth,
glossy ball that leaves the surface of the bowl. If kneading by hand,
turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface and knead for 12 to 14 minutes.
Form the dough into a large ball, put it into a greased bowl, cover
with a damp towel or cling wrap and allow to ferment until doubled in
bulk, about 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours.
Remove the fermented dough from the refrigerator and turn it onto a
lightly floured kneading surface. Divide the dough into two equal
pieces of about 24 oz. each, and divide each of these into as many
pieces as needed for the braid you are using.
Roll each piece into a tight ball, cover the balls with a damp towel
and allow them to rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
Using your hands, roll each ball into a long sausage that is thick in
the middle and tapered to a point at the ends. Braid the loaves.
Put the braided loaves on a piece of baking parchment, cover them
with a damp towel and allow them to proof until the dough doesn't
spring back when a finger is pressed into it.
Preheat the oven to 350F/175C for 20 to 30 minutes with the baking
surface in the middle.
At bake time, brush each loaf lightly with beaten egg, wait 1 minute
and give them a second coat. If desired, sprinkle with seeds to taste.
Slide the loaves and parchment onto the baking stone or bake on a
sheet pan until they reach an internal temperature of 205F/95C, about
35 to 40 minutes. Turn the loaves halfway through baking so they'll
brown evenly.
Transfer the finished loaves to a rack and let cool for at least one
hour before cutting.