Basic Challah Dough

Directions

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   Prepared By Hand:
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   Challah dough is fun and easy to mix and knead by hand.
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   As with all yeast doughs, the amount of flour needed to absorb the liquid varies with the humidity, the flours dryness, and the size of the eggs.
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   But remember that bread dough is forgiving and works well in a wide range of flour to liquid ratios.
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   Do try to keep the dough soft.
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   Although firm dough is easier to braid, soft dough gives the lightest, most delicious bread.
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   Use this recipe or follow this method for any challah recipe.
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   Pour 1/4 cup of the water into a small bowl.
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   Sprinkle yeast over the water and 1 teaspoon sugar over yeast.
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    Let yeast mixture stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
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    Stir if not smooth.
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    Oil a large bowl.
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    Sift 2 3/4 cups of the flour into a large bowl.
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    Make large, deep well in center of flour.
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    Add yeast mixture, remaining sugar, oil, eggs, remaining water, and salt to well.
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    Mix ingredients in well with a wooden spoon until blended.
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    Mix in flour, first with a spoon, then by hand, until ingredients come together to form a dough.
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    Dough should be soft and sticky.
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    Knead dough vigorously on work surface until it is very smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes; during kneading, if it sticks to your fingers, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is no longer very sticky.
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    Put dough into oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil all surfaces.
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    Cover with warm, slightly damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area about 1 hour 15 minutes or until doubled.
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    Remove dough with rubber spatula to work surface.
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    Knead dough lightly again about 30 seconds to knock out air.
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    Clean bowl if necessary.
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    Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
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    Shape and bake dough as desired (see recipes).
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    Prepared By Mixer:
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    Use a heavy-duty mixer with a dough hook for this recipe.
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    It is the best and most efficient way to mix and knead large amounts of dough and to prepare doughs that are very sticky.
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    Pour 1/4 cup of the water into a small bowl.
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    Sprinkle yeast into water, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar into yeast water.
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    Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
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    Oil a large bowl.
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    Sift 2 3/4 cups flour into bowl of mixer fitted with dough hook.
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    Make large, deep well in center of flour.
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    Add yeast mixture, remaining sugar, oil, eggs, remaining water, and salt to well.
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    Mix at medium-low speed, pushing flour in often at first and scraping dough down occasionally from bowl and from hook, until ingredients come together in a soft, sticky dough.
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    Add remaining flour and beat until blended in.
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    Mix dough at medium speed to knead it, scraping down twice, about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and almost cleans sides of bowl.
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    Pinch dough quickly; if it sticks to your fingers, beat in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is no longer very sticky.
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    If you add flour, mix at medium speed about 2 minutes.
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    Dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic.
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    Put dough into oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil all surfaces.
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    Cover with warm, slightly damp towel or plastic wrap.
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    Let rise in warm draft-free area about 1 1/4 hours or until nearly doubled.
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    Knead dough lightly in bowl to knock out air.
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    Cover and let rise again about 1 hour or until nearly doubled.
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    Shape and bake dough as desired (see recipes).
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    Prepared by Food Processor:
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    I love making challah dough in the food processor because it is so quick and easy and produces very good results.
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    In fact, the dough is mixed and kneaded in less than three minutes!
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    Naturally, the amount you can make is limited by the size of your food processor.
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    I use a medium-size (10- to 12-cup capacity) food processor to mix this dough, which is enough for
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    1 medium loaf.
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    If you are in a hurry, you can skip the doughs second rising; the loaf wont be quite as light but it will still taste good.
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    Pour 1/4 cup of the water into small bowl.
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    Sprinkle yeast over water.
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    Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar over yeast.
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    Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
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    Stir if not smooth.
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    Oil a large bowl.
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    Fit food processor with dough blade.
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    Combine 2 3/4 cups flour and remaining sugar in food processor.
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    Process briefly to mix.
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    Add yeast mixture, oil, eggs, and salt.
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    With blades of processor turning, pour in remaining water.
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    Process until ingredients come together to form a soft dough; it will not form a ball.
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    Process for about 30 seconds to knead dough.
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    Pinch dough quickly; if it sticks to your fingers, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is no longer very sticky.
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    Knead again by processing about 30 seconds or until smooth.
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    Remove dough from processor and shape it into a rough ball in your hands.
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    Put dough into oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil all surfaces.
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    Cover with warm, slightly damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area about 1 hour 15 minutes or until doubled.
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    Remove dough with rubber spatula to work surface.
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    Knead dough lightly again about 30 seconds to knock out air.
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    Clean bowl if necessary.
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    Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
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    Shape and bake dough as desired (see recipes).
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    Hand-Kneading Bread Dough:
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    You can knead bread dough in a mixer with a dough hook or in a food processor.
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    If you are making the dough by hand, there are two basic techniques for kneading it: the slapping method, used for soft doughs; and the conventional bread dough method, pushing with your palms.
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    Since challah dough is quite soft when I knead it by hand, I prefer the slapping method, which I learned in France.
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    With this method, you end up adding less flour and the dough stays softer, resulting in a bread that is more moist.
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    If you are used to the conventional method or feel more comfortable with it, however, you can use it.
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    Bagel dough is firmer than challah dough and works equally well by either method.
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    Slapping Method of Kneading:
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    With the dough on the work surface, place your hands next to each other on top of the dough, holding it lightly in your fingertips.
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    Pull up the dough and slap it vigorously onto the work surface.
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    Grasp the dough again at a different place, and repeat.
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    Continue slapping dough, lightly flouring the surface if necessary to prevent excessive sticking, until the dough is smooth and elastic and holds together in one piece.
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    Its all right if the dough is still slightly sticky but it should be much less sticky than it was before kneading.
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    Be sure to handle the dough lightly and quickly so it does not stick much to your fingers.
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    Conventional Method of Kneading:
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    Put the dough on the work surface.
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    Push the dough away from you against the work surface with the palm of your hand.
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    Turn the dough, fold its top third down toward you, and push it again.
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    Continue kneading the dough, flouring the work surface as necessary to prevent excessive sticking, until the dough is smooth and elastic.