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Challah
Topic Started: Mar 6 2011, 02:32 PM (1,187 Views)
JRKmommy
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Bala Buste
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Talk of challah on the other thread reminded me:

Does anyone have a good challah recipe where I can "take challah" (plus some basic instructions for doing so), and freeze pre-shaped but unbaked loaves? I have around 5 lbs of flour to use up before Pesach.

Currently, I buy frozen pre-shaped unbaked loaves, and I find them really convenient - I take them out of the freezer before work on Friday, pop them into the oven when I get home, and I have ultra-fresh challah with no fuss and no need to run to the bakery on Friday.
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Estie
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aishes chayil
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I would think that would work with any recipe. Let it rise once, then punch down and shape. Freeze. Take out of freezer and let defrost and rise, then put in oven. You have to have each in a pan I think loose it would just spread out sideways.
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realeez
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Brain Freeze
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Do you like a sweet challah? I finally have a good recipe for 5 lb!
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Marion
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aishes chayil
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I use a recipe that I think is from Spice and Spirit, though I found it online. The single recipe is not enough to take challah (7c), but if you double it you can take with a bracha. Singel recipe:

7c. flour
1/2c. sugar
2c. lukewarm water (I do 1/3c. boiling with 1-1/3c. cold/tap)
1tbsp. yeast (instant, dry)
1/2c. oil
1 egg
1tbsp. salt

Place sugar, warm water, yeast in a bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 the flour (3-1/2c.). Combine. Add oil, egg, salt. Mix well. Gradually add remaining flour. Dought should be smooth and elastic. If it's too sticky add a little extra OIL (not flour). Knead briefly Return to well oiled bowl for first rising (best if covered with a warm, damp towel). Punch down. Shape. 2nd rising. Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes (depends on size of loaves).

I use 1/2 whole wheat flour and half high-gluten bread flour. I get 3 medium-large loaves from a 7c. recipe. I looked high and low for a recipe that gave real yeast measurements and not packages of yeast, because I buy mine loose, but I think 1 tbsp. is equal to 1 package of the active dry yeast (like Fleishmanns)...7g?

ETA: 7c. is about 1kg flour...If you have 5lbs to use up I'd make up a single batch each week for 3 weeks and that will get rid of the flour between now and Pesach. (I have a lot more than 5lbs to use...I think I might be down to 12kg.)
Edited by Marion, Mar 6 2011, 08:45 PM.
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hallie_ari_mom
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Rebbetzin
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I have a question for those who make challah's with a 5 lb bag. How many do you make? Is it for one Shabbos? My freezer is, I believe, standard size, and with all I have to freeze on a regular basis, there is no room for making extra challah and freezing it. What do you do with the extra.. if you have any?
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realeez
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I have a chest freezer in my basement- so that solves that one! I also sometimes make little challah rolls that the kids love taking to school. For a quick kid-friendly dinner, I make challah French toast!
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U Tarzan Me Jane
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Marion
Mar 6 2011, 08:43 PM
I use a recipe that I think is from Spice and Spirit, though I found it online. The single recipe is not enough to take challah (7c), but if you double it you can take with a bracha. Singel recipe:

7c. flour
1/2c. sugar
2c. lukewarm water (I do 1/3c. boiling with 1-1/3c. cold/tap)
1tbsp. yeast (instant, dry)
1/2c. oil
1 egg
1tbsp. salt

ETA: 7c. is about 1kg flour...If you have 5lbs to use up I'd make up a single batch each week for 3 weeks and that will get rid of the flour between now and Pesach. (I have a lot more than 5lbs to use...I think I might be down to 12kg.)

Personally, if I am making challah, Id rather make with a bracha, so I would double the recipe. You need a minimum of 12 cups of flour to make a bracha on the dough.

Double this recipe is about 5 lbs of flour. There is about 14 cups to 5 lbs of flour--definitely won't make it 3 weeks on this.

After the rising before the shaping, take a handful of dough, and make the bracha Asher Kidishanu bimitzvosav Lehafrish Challah(teruma--not everyone ads this word I think its a sefardic thing.) min Ha eesa. (some add before the yehi ratzon, the sentance, Zeh challah terumah)The common Yehi ratzon said after the bracha is the one directly after shemona esrei in the siddur.

The challah then needs to be burned, its preferable to burn it on the stove
top grate then in the oven. If you burn it in the oven, you must remove it before baking the challah, if you don't you will have a shaila as to whether or not you can use the challah you baked.

I open a stove top flame to high and then place the challah directly in the flames it burns very completely in about 10 minutes, maybe a bit more. Other people save the dough and throw into a fire at biur chametz.

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U Tarzan Me Jane
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Rebbetzin
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hallie_ari_mom
Mar 7 2011, 07:31 AM
I have a question for those who make challah's with a 5 lb bag. How many do you make? Is it for one Shabbos? My freezer is, I believe, standard size, and with all I have to freeze on a regular basis, there is no room for making extra challah and freezing it. What do you do with the extra.. if you have any?
with my recipe, 5 lbs makes about 4 medium sized challot, its not all that much. I have a small chest freezer, so I usually make enough to last a month. if you just wanted to make the bracha, all you need is a recipe that uses 12 cups of flour. It will make about 3 loaves, you can share with friends or family if you don't have room to freeze. :)
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hallie_ari_mom
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Rebbetzin
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Maybe that's it.. We have an extra freezer in the garage but I would like to get rid of it as it's never used. If I had it plugged in and used it I guess I'd be able to make extra. I was just looking in my freezer, w all the boxes of waffles, frozen meals, etc., adding loaves of Challah seems impossible.
I like the idea of smaller loaves. We don't really eat the challah other than the blessing. We don't eat bread....
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Estie
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aishes chayil
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My recipe makes about 6-7 medium (3 lb size) loaves, I think it is 16 cups of flour so that is a little more than 5 lb. I don't measure, I dump in 5 lb and then add more as the dough needs.

recipe
proof 6 tbsp dry yeast with 1/2 cup sugar and 5 cups water
wait 5-10 minutes

add 4 eggs, 2/3 cup oil, 1 tbsp salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar
add high gluten flour (16 cups approx, but start with less)

Knead (I have a big magic mill that mixes it for me)
Let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours
punch down and let rise again 1 - 1 1/2 hours
shape into loaves and let rise 1/2 hour to 45 min. Put into pans so it doesn't collapse.
bake on 350 F for about 25 - 30 minutes (this varies greatly and depends on your oven). Please preheat the oven first.
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Marion
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aishes chayil
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U Tarzan Me Jane
Mar 7 2011, 08:49 AM
Marion
Mar 6 2011, 08:43 PM
I use a recipe that I think is from Spice and Spirit, though I found it online. The single recipe is not enough to take challah (7c), but if you double it you can take with a bracha. Singel recipe:

7c. flour
1/2c. sugar
2c. lukewarm water (I do 1/3c. boiling with 1-1/3c. cold/tap)
1tbsp. yeast (instant, dry)
1/2c. oil
1 egg
1tbsp. salt

ETA: 7c. is about 1kg flour...If you have 5lbs to use up I'd make up a single batch each week for 3 weeks and that will get rid of the flour between now and Pesach. (I have a lot more than 5lbs to use...I think I might be down to 12kg.)

Personally, if I am making challah, Id rather make with a bracha, so I would double the recipe. You need a minimum of 12 cups of flour to make a bracha on the dough.

Double this recipe is about 5 lbs of flour. There is about 14 cups to 5 lbs of flour--definitely won't make it 3 weeks on this.

After the rising before the shaping, take a handful of dough, and make the bracha Asher Kidishanu bimitzvosav Lehafrish Challah(teruma--not everyone ads this word I think its a sefardic thing.) min Ha eesa. (some add before the yehi ratzon, the sentance, Zeh challah terumah)The common Yehi ratzon said after the bracha is the one directly after shemona esrei in the siddur.

The challah then needs to be burned, its preferable to burn it on the stove
top grate then in the oven. If you burn it in the oven, you must remove it before baking the challah, if you don't you will have a shaila as to whether or not you can use the challah you baked.

I open a stove top flame to high and then place the challah directly in the flames it burns very completely in about 10 minutes, maybe a bit more. Other people save the dough and throw into a fire at biur chametz.

Harei zeh challah, if you're Ashkenazi.

We only go through 2 challot a week (bake 3, use 2) so yes, 5lbs would be enough for 3 weeks for us. The 3rd week we'd use a pita for the 2nd loaf at lunch.

BTW, you can also double wrap your raw challah dough (the part that is "challah") and toss it in the bin unburnt. And I learned that if you're going to burn the piece in the oven you should do so after you've baked your loaves. Note that there are also halachic differences in EY and chu"l about using challot/bread/dough that challah has not been taken from but should have been.
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zuncompany
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Administrator
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marion- just throw it out? WHOA, never heard that before.

Quote:
 
Other people save the dough and throw into a fire at biur chametz.

this is what I do.
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Marion
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aishes chayil
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zuncompany
Mar 7 2011, 12:21 PM
marion- just throw it out? WHOA, never heard that before.

Quote:
 
Other people save the dough and throw into a fire at biur chametz.

this is what I do.
Yup. Double wrapped, like with shmittah garbage, and in the bin.
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zuncompany
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I don't get it at all... okay. How is that okay in any way?
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Marion
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aishes chayil
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It's double wrapped, ergo, it's not "in the garbage". Dunno. It's okay for shmittah garbage that has kedushah, it's okay for challah which has kedushah.
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