Challah: Where the Baking Begins for Babka

twin baked loaves (one for home, one for a friend)

Many recipes have "secrets" to them -- that is, small details that give a better result but aren't always included when the recipe is written down.  For years, I made heavy loaves of bread. Then one day I watched an expert and realized that my version of a stiff, kneadable dough had way too much flour in it. After that, I knew the "secret" to when to stop adding flour -- no matter if the dough still stuck a bit.

The secret to my best babka recipe is crumbs of challah bread. This is so essential that I can't bake babka without first baking challah! So that's where I'm starting today.

Challah is the Jewish egg bread, served with many a shabbat meal and at significant holiday meals (but NEVER during Passover, which is a yeast-free season of the Jewish calendar). Although I used a couple of recipes from Jewish cookbooks, I settled for reliability and flavor on a very slightly adapted version of the "Rich Egg Bread" recipe on Gold Medal Flour bags. Here's my usual version:

2 T dry yeast
1-1/3 cups warm water (warm enough for a baby's bottle)
2 T light brown sugar (white will do if you don't have the brown, but the flavor's better with brown)
1 T salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 T oil plus, if NOT for a Jewish meat meal, add 1 T soft or melted butter
5 to 5-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 T more oil at end of kneading
1 egg more before baking, beaten

Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm water in a large bowl (I use a big plastic Tupperware one in which I can knead). Let "proof" for 5 minutes. Then stir the salt, eggs, oil (and butter if being used), and 4 cups of flour. Switch from your wooden spoon to a plastic dough scraper (if you don't have one, use your hands) and work in another cup of flour. If it's REALLY sticky, add the final half cup of flour. Keep it as soft as possible, though.

Using the scraper, I knead the dough for about a minute in the bowl, until it rounds up nicely (sometimes I use a few tablespoons more flour in the process). Add the extra 2 T of oil to the bowl and roll the ball of dough in it. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for half an hour to an hour, in a warm place. It's best if only doubled in size, however long that takes -- overdoing the rising makes the dough hard to handle.

Dump out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in three segments; gently roll these (no stretching!) into three "ropes" and braid them, making sure to fasten them together snugly at each end. Place on a well-greased sheet pan (insulated is best!) or parchment-lined pan. Turn on the oven and let it preheat to 400 degrees F. By the time the oven is warm enough, the loaves have usually risen, although it doesn't hurt to let them rise an extra 10-15 minutes more, if there's time in your schedule.

Take the last egg and using a soft brush, or a strip of paper toweling, or your fingers, lightly brush the beaten egg onto the loaf. I always have some left at the end, which I dump into a pet dish or down the drain.

Make sure the oven rack is in the middle position. Add the bread and bake for 30 minutes; check that it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (if you're not sure, give it 5 minutes more).

Often, I divide this recipe to make two smaller braids, in which case they are done at about 25 minutes, and I have one for a friend and one for home.

Variations: (1) After brushing the risen loaf with egg, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. (2) If you have leftover mashed potato without large lumps, work in a half cup  when you're putting together the dough; the flavor is great and it may yield a moister loaf. (This came from Lore Steinitz's mother.) If the mashed potatoes are very cold, warm them to room temperature using a microwave if possible, so you don't slow down the rising process. (3) Make rolls instead of braids, by cutting balls about the size of a small plum, rolling into a short rope, and twisting into an overhand knot. This shape rises beautifully.  Cut the baking time to 15 minutes or so.

One more secret: You can make the dough the night before, and let it rise in the refrigerator, with the bowl covered to prevent drying out. Then shape the loaves from the cold dough, and give them 45 minutes to rise. A nice time-saver for hectic days, and the grain of the loaf is especially even when done this way.

Last but not least: If you forget to brush the loaf with egg before baking it, don't worry. It just won't be as glossy. Try it both ways and see which you prefer. And yes, you can substitute half whole wheat flour in this recipe, but my husband hates it that way.

Important note about the last of the loaf: If you possibly can, save six slices for morning French toast -- challah makes the best! (I've even been known to slice an entire loaf to freeze for future breakfasts.) And, if you want to make babka, crumble a couple of slices to make a cup of Challah Bread Crumbs and pop those in the freezer, too! More on this, soon.