FLUFFY CHALLAH

Ingredients

( All ingredients must be at room temperature , unless otherwise indicated )

• 120 ml (½ cup) of warm water (50-55ºC / 120-130º F)

• 3 g (1½ teaspoons) of dried baker's yeast

• 390 - 420 g (3 - 3½ cups) of soft wheat flour

• 55 g ( ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon ) of white sugar

• 2 teaspoons of salt

• 2 whole eggs (L)

• 1 egg yolk (L)

• 60 ml (¼ cup) of light olive oil (or sunflower oil)

• 1 egg white (L) + 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water, for brushing Preparation

1. First, in a small bowl, dissolve a teaspoon of sugar in warm water, add the yeast, and let it rest for about 10 minutes until a foamy layer has formed on the surface (if this doesn't happen, it means the yeast is overcooked and should be discarded).

2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of our mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, (or in a separate large bowl and a wooden spoon) we mix 390g (3 cups) of the flour, the remaining sugar (50g / ¼ cup) and the salt.

3. Next, make a hole in the center of the previous mixture and add the two whole eggs, the egg yolk (we will reserve the white in the refrigerator for later) and the oil, and mix at low speed until well combined.

4. Next, we add the yeast (step 1) and mix, also at low speed, until combined.

5. If using a stand mixer, switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook (if kneading by hand, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface) and knead for about 6-8 minutes (8-10 if hand-kneading) until you have a soft, elastic texture that easily lifts off the bowl (or your hands) and stays compact in a ball without deforming. If necessary, add a little more flour, a teaspoon at a time, while kneading until you reach the desired consistency.

6. Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil (you can reuse the oil used during kneading after washing and drying it thoroughly) and place our dough ball inside. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in one of two ways: - Refrigerate overnight (slow, cold rises give the final dough a more pronounced flavor); the next morning, remove it from the bowl and let it acclimate to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes, until it has doubled in volume. Or, - Place our bowl in a warm, draft-free place for about 1.5-2 hours, until it has doubled in volume.

7. When we're ready to braid our challah , place the dough on a lightly floured surface and deflate it by pressing it down a few times with your knuckles. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, covered with a clean cotton cloth.

8. Using a baker's scraper or a long, sharp knife, divide the dough into 4 equal parts (a kitchen scale is very useful for this step, although it's not essential that they be exactly the same).

9. Next, knead each portion of dough (meanwhile, it is a good idea to keep the rest of the portions covered with a cloth so they do not dry out), stretching it with the palms of your hands until you get a length of approximately 40 cm (16") long. (If the dough resists kneading and shrinks, let it rest for another 5 minutes and try again after this time.)

10. Next, we place the four strands of our braid parallel and join the top ends with our fingertips. Braiding with four strands is very simple; we take the right-hand strand (or the left-hand strand if there's a left-handed person) and pass it over the one next to it, under the next one, and over the last one. We repeat the same pattern until we reach the end. We need to make sure they're loose, yet still tightly woven (the dough will expand during the next rise and during baking and needs space), without stretching or tightening too much.

11. Once we have reached the end, we pinch the 4 ends with our fingers just like at the beginning and tuck both ends under the formed loaf.

12. As if it were a cushion, we place our hands on both ends of our loaf and fluff it slightly so that it takes shape and is more or less symmetrical and hollow.

13. We place our challah on the baking tray, previously covered with baking paper, and sprinkle it with a little more flour all over the surface.

14. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for approximately 1 hour in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in volume.

15. About 20 minutes before the end of this second and final rising, we preheat the (electric) oven to 175ºC (350º F).

16. Once our bread has risen, we beat the remaining egg white with a tablespoon of water and, being very careful not to pierce the freshly risen dough, we coat the entire surface and edges of our bread with the help of a pastry brush, paying special attention to the folds.

17. Place the baking tray at medium height and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until it has acquired a deep golden color and sounds hollow when tapped on the base.

18. Let it cool on a wire rack before slicing and eating. Nothing beats freshly baked bread, but this one in particular will keep at room temperature, well wrapped and protected from air, for several days.