Evie Lieb’s Processor Challah

Original Recipe slightly modidified

Ingredients

• 600g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 13/4 teaspoons Fleischmann’s instant yeast (or 1 envelope active dry yeast)
• 240ml (1 cup) very warm water (120-130F, 50-55C)
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola or sunflower
• 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten (save two tablespoons for glazing the loaf)
• 1-2 tablespoons sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) ten minutes before baking.
2. Place the flour, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a processor fitted with dough blade and pulse a few times to combine the ingredients.
3. Combine the water and oil. With the motor running, add the warm mixture to the flour. Add the egg, and continue to process using pulse action until the dough forms a ball. Process continuously for 40-60 seconds to knead the dough. If the dough seems sticky add a little flour. The dough should be soft, slightly tacky but not sticking to your hands.
4. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead by hand for 1 minute. It should loose it’s stickiness.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and let rise for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size. Press the dough lightly with your fingertips, if indentation remains, then it’s ready to shape.
6. Gently deflate the dough and braid into one large challah or two small ones.
7. Place the bread(s) on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the reserved egg. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
8. Cover the loaf with oiled plastic and leave to double in size about 30-45 minutes.Press the bread lightly with your fingertips, if indentation remains, then it’s ready to bake.
9. Brush the bread again, and sprinkle poppy seeds if necessary. Bake for about 35 minutes.
10. You can brush the bread with more egg and sprinkle more seeds at approximately half the cooking time.

Points to Note

1. I added exactly 600g flour.
2. After processing, the dough is just a bit sticky but after kneading for 1 minute it becomes soft but firm and not sticky anymore.
3. If using active dry yeast please make sure you proof it (dissolve it in water and wait for tiny bubbles to appear on the surface, to give “proof” that it’s alive or active)

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