19
Challah
Our challah makes the best French toast — that’s if
you have any left over, of course!
Makes one loaf
¼ cup warm water (105°F to 110°F)
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2
/
3
cup cold water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter,
melted
4
1
/
3
cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Egg wash (1 large egg and 1 tablespoon
water whisked together)
Nonstick cooking spray
Stir together the warm water, yeast and 2
teaspoons of the sugar into the Cuisinart
®
mixing bowl. Attach the dough hook and let
stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Once the yeast has proofed, add the cold
water, melted butter, flour and salt to the mixing
bowl. Knead on Speed 2 to incorporate
ingredients. Increase to Speed 4 and knead
until smooth, about 5 minutes. Dough should
be soft and spring back to the touch.
Cover mixing bowl and let dough rise in a
warm, draft-free place until volume is doubled,
about 1 to 1½ hours. Line a sheet tray with
parchment paper.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and
punch down. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.
Use your hands to roll each piece into a
cylinder about 1½ x 14 inches. Place the
cylinders side by side on the prepared tray.
Braid loosely from one end. Gently pull and
taper each end to a point, then pinch and tuck
under loaf. Cover with plastic wrap coated with
cooking spray and let rise until doubled in size,
about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F with
the rack positioned in the lower third of the
oven.
Brush the loaf with the egg wash. Bake for 20
minutes. Lower temperature to 350°F and bake
until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when
tapped, about an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
Nutritional analysis per serving (one 2-ounce slice):
Calories 119 (61% from fat) • carb. 18g • pro. 3g
• fat 4g • sat. fat 2g • chol. 30mg • sod. 202mg
• calc. 4mg • fiber 0g
Rustic Italian Bread
This airy and crusty loaf proves that making artisan-
style bread at home can be so simple.
Makes 1 round loaf
1 cup warm water (105°F to 110°F)
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
1¾ teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
1
/
3
cup wheat bran
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon water
whisked together)
Stir together the warm water, sugar and yeast
in the Cuisinart
®
mixing bowl. Attach the dough
hook and let stand until the mixture is foamy
and bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes.
While the yeast is proofing, combine the bread
flour, wheat bran and salt in a separate mixing
bowl.
Once the yeast is foamy, add the flour mixture
and the olive oil and turn the mixer on to Speed
3 until dough comes together as a ball and
cleans the side of the bowl.
Once dough ball is formed, continue to knead
on Speed 3 for about 4 to 5 minutes. Dough
should be smooth and spring back to the
touch. If sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a
time until smooth. Alternatively, if the dough
seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a
time.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a
warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume,
about one hour. Punch the dough down,
reshape again into a ball, cover with plastic
wrap to rise until doubled in size again.
Gently punch down the dough and shape into a
tight, large round. Put the round on a baking
sheet lined with parchment paper and loosely
cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise one last
time, about 30 minutes.
While bread is rising, preheat oven to 400°F.
When ready to bake, cut an “X” into the top of
