Sephardic Challah

The recipe is adapted from my old friend Jessamyn Waldman who is the executive director and chef of Hot Bread Kitchen, an AMAZING triple bottom line business in good ol' NYC. You can find the original recipe here as this one has my modifications.



Sephardic Challa:
Ingredients:
2 tbl. sesame seeds
1 tbl. flax seeds
1 1/2 tbl. anise seeds
1 1/2 tbl. caraway seeds

1 package yeast
2 c. warm water
5 c. breadflour (today I did AP flour with 3 tbl. wheat germ for good health, but it makes a denser loaf)
3 tbl. olive oil
2 tbl. honey
1 tbl. salt
cornmeal for dusting or parchment paper
2 egg yolks for glazing

Toast seeds two minutes until fragrant over med. low heat
In the Kitchen Aid, combine flour, oil, honey, and water and mix on low until dough forms.

Dissolve yeast in a bit of the warm water.

Add yeast mixture, salt and seeds and mix at medium low about 10 minutes

Then transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for a while, one hour at minimum. Now cut the dough into thirds (that's a "Y" shape out of the circular loaf) and roll it out to 18 inches.

Lightly oil and dust with cornmeal a cookie sheet. Then braid the loaf and let it double in size, on the cookie sheet, covered with a damp towel for about an hour. Jessamyn actually makes two long ropes of dough and then makes two coiled loaves out of them, but I am romantically attached to the idea of braided challa and it it's elegance.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and whisk the egg yolks with a dash of water and let it stand 30 minutes. Repeat the egg wash and then sprinkle with the reserved seeds.

Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy!