This is great, thank you so much for the recipe! I made using 50% whole rye and wheat. Per the recipe note, I reduced the water a bit (to about 95g) but next time I wouldn’t do that, as the dough felt a little dry. I normally bake with high hydration sourdough breads, so I didn’t adjust out of concern for adding too much water. I made a few small changes because I wanted a leaner dough (though this is quite lean) as a stand in for our everyday loaf. I subbed some milk for some of the water, used 75% of the called for sugar (used brown), and didn’t add the extra egg yolk (I was almost out of eggs…). These changes probably contributed to the slight dryness I observed in the dough. I followed directions for brioche, and rolled the dough out after the first rise, topped with just a little blueberry jam, and twisted/folded (was in a rush, as I usually am with a toddler, could have done this much better). After the second rise, I topped with seeds (pepitas, sesame). It came out lovely, will definitely make this again.
I am filled with gratitude for this Challah recipe. So light and delicious (and virtuous with whole grain flour.) Great as written. Even tastier if I remember to start a sponge the night before with 4 oz. of the whole grain flour + 4 oz. water + 1 TBS unfed sourdough starter. Next day add the rest of the flour and other ingredients as written, including yeast. So good for dinner, plus makes excellent toast the next morning.
My wife and I are biased towards leavain breads, and, as such, we were skeptical about this recipe. However, this is going to become a staple in our kitchen. Wonderful recipe and great bread!
Would love any advice on adapting to sourdough. I’m having trouble knowing when it’s proofed – it doesn’t seem to double in size, though my starter does great with lean breads. I’m wondering if I just need to use a lot more starter than I would for a lean bread? Or if I should use a different measure, like focus on amount of springback and if so, how much to look for? Much thanks. I am new to enriched doughs and struggling a bit.
Sourdough enriched breads take a loooong time to rise. The dough texture when risen is silkier, too, rather than spongy, even if you adjust hydration perfectly.
If you use a lot of starter, and try a sweet, stiff levain build such as the one in this recipe, the fermentation might go a little faster. (Use whole grain flour instead of bread flour if that’s what you’re going for.)
My sourdough challah recipe, adapted from Peter Reinhart, is in this instagram post. I do go for doubling (more than doubling actually, because there’s a late stretch and fold). I used less stiff starter then, but if making it now, I’d do the bigger build of the kubaneh.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPNiSVnSiz/?igshid=rhj4lq0dh3ir
much thanks!!
I am attempting this today but am still working with APF (mill on order!!) and BellaRise yeast. I will follow the directions in the Notes section.
Questions:
All my previous loaves required 2+ hours of cooling but this is a ‘serve warm’ bread. I am excited to make this with the right timing to serve it warm and surprise a friend with warm bread for dinner.
Timing Question:
I could start early and extend one of the proofs- if going this route should I extend the first or the second?
Or should I wait until the afternoon and plan on two 1-2 hour rises?
Type of Gluten Formation:
I re-read the newbie and gluten development articles- I learn something new each time I read through them! A “basic knead” is mentioned but not demo’d. I will look this up. Or would you recommend a different method with APF and yeast?
I could use practice on any technique.
Dough Handling:
In one of your comments you mention using a small amount of oil on your hands (I believe from the oiled bowl). Do you recommend oiling your bowl?
I’ve used water in my previous loaves.
Sweetener Question:
I saw another version of Whole Grain Challah that used raw, unpasteurized honey instead of sugar. Are there merits to one sweetener over another?
Thank you!
S
Ps- I went with the Ethiopian Milk & Honey bread instead. I hope to attempt Challah soon- today turned into a Murphy’s law day- but at least I tried something new with bread!
I hope your dough is proceeding nicely!
It’s a matter of preference which rise you want to extend. I prefer not to extend the second rise of things like challah because of refrigerator space and because covering the dough during the final proof is tricky enough.
I put the entire baking sheet inside a plastic grocery bag or the thicker plastic zipper-bag that a pillow or blanket is sold in. I also place a few tall glasses on the baking sheet so the plastic rests on them and not on the dough.
It’s also easier to slow the beginning of an exponential curve (fermentation) rather than the end. Fermentation isn’t exactly exponential since at the end, the curve dives down and the dough deflates and becomes goo. But ideally you bake the dough before the curve stops looking exponential, or at least before it’s been flat for a long time. (Refrigeration is like pausing or slowing the dough on the curve.)
You can develop the gluten however you want. Even the categories of “stretch and fold” or “traditional kneading” are very fluid and individuals have quite different styles.
The only things to keep in mind are that traditional kneading doesn’t work on a really wet dough and multiple rounds of more gentle development (stretching and folding) don’t work on a fast rising dough because you run out of time. (You also can’t laminate a 100% rye dough 
)
No preference for oil or water in handling the dough.
Honey adds a little more hydration to a dough compared with sugar. Usually this isn’t a big enough deal to worry about.