Recipe: Pull-Apart Challah Rolls (2024)

FAQs

Why does my challah pull apart? ›

You kneaded in too much flour when you worked the dough. You added too little liquid or eggs or oil. You didn't let it rise enough.

Myrna's original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, and you can substitute that here. But I find bread flour gives the challah a nice chew without making it tough, and also helps the braided loaf maintain its shape after baking. For some novice challah makers, that braid can seem like the hardest part.

Separate challah without a brocha when using flour weighing between 1.23kg and 1.67kg (between approximately 8 to 12 cups of unsifted flour or 9 and 15 cups of sifted flour). Separate challah with a brocha when using flour weighing more than 1.67kg (approximately 12cups of unsifted flour or 15 cups of sifted flour) .

Let's go over some of their differences. This bread also reminds me of my Calabrian mother-in-law's very soft and buttery Italian brioche style breads. Pulla: This bread has butter, eggs, milk and sugar. Challah: This yeast dough has water, eggs, oil and sometimes honey (or sugar).

If the dough tears, you haven't developed enough gluten and it needs more kneading. If it stretches without breaking, making a windowpane of sorts, you're done and you can let the dough rest.

Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread – people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it. Other culprits can be overproving or not kneading enough – the things you need to do to get a good structure.

Overrising the first rise, which is when the dough is still just a dough, can occur. Usually if it overrose just a bit, say, for an hour extra in a cold kitchen, it doesnt really matter. You simply punch it back down and go on to the shaping.

Amount of flour: The key to a soft loaf that isn't dense is to use as little flour as possible. I start with 930 grams of flour and add up to 70 more grams based on what the dough needs. The amount of liquid in the dough will vary from loaf to loaf because “large” eggs are similar but not uniform in volume.

The best baking temperature for *most* challahs is about 190°C / 365-375°F.

One who makes dough from one of the five types of grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats), in the amount subject to challah in order to bake it needs to separate challah from it. If challah is not taken from the dough, it is forbidden to eat the baked product.

Should you sift flour for challah? ›

A crucial mistake that is often made is not passing the flour through a sieve before using it. If you don't sift the flour, the result is bread that is too dense and heavy. Sifting is what gives challah its soft, airy texture.

After the ten minutes, turn the mixer back on or knead by hand. Keep mixing for about 3-4 minutes and you should see your dough begin to soften and come smooth and nice to the touch. Now your dough is done!

Challah Bread is Equally as Delicious as it is Symbolic

Moreover, on some occasions a blessing is said over two loaves of bread, symbolizing the two portions of the manna that was distributed on Fridays to the children of Israel during their Exodus from Egypt.

Challah and brioche bread are similar, but differ from each other in important ways. Both are ever so slightly sweet and enriched with eggs and fat, making them richer than other breads. But challah uses more eggs and less fat than brioche bread.

Both breads are rich, eggy yeast breads, but brioche is definitely richer. (Butter will do that). Challah, by the way, is often a braided loaf. Both make excellent French toast and bread pudding.

The piece of dough separated as Challah is considered “holy” and may not be eaten or used for any other purpose but must be disposed of in a “dignified” manner. It may not be thrown out in the garbage in the first instance. The general custom is to burn the separated piece of Challah.

I continued to knead my dough for just about 5 minutes to ensure I didn't over work the dough. Over kneading can make the dough feel tough, and the gluten structure will tear instead of stretching. If you're kneading by hand, really get your whole body into the process in order to work the gluten.

You'll end up with a loaf that doesn't expand or bake well, and that is also misshapen and very sour. While some people (including us) like that biting flavor, others may find it too sour. Mistakes are inevitable when it comes to proofing bread, but there's no need to throw out dough if it proofs too long.