Bread Machine (29 page)

JEWISH EGG BREAD

C
hallah, meaning “offering” in Hebrew, is a traditional Jewish egg bread that, as far as I am concerned, has no peer. It is served with every Sabbath meal and on Jewish holidays. This nondairy version can be baked inside the machine, or the dough can be removed and shaped into a traditional braid or coil and then baked in the oven (see
Technique: Jewish Egg Braid or Coil
).

1
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/
₂
-POUND LOAF

³
/
₄
cup water

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon gluten

1
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/
₂
teaspoons salt

1
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/
₄
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
¹
/
₄
teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds, for sprinkling

2-POUND LOAF

1 cup water

2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1
¹
/
₂
tablespoons honey

¹
/
₄
cup vegetable oil

4 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
¹
/
₂
teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Place the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.) During Rise 3, carefully lift the lid and sprinkle just the top of the dough with the poppy or sesame seeds. Close the lid to finish the rising and baking.

When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

Technique: Jewish Egg Braid or Coil

Makes 1 large braided or coiled loaf

Jewish egg bread is steeped in symbolism. The three strands of the braid represent truth, peace, and justice. The poppy seeds on top represent the manna that fell from heaven in the desert to feed the wandering tribes according to the Old Testament. You can also shape this into a coil, a circular loaf with no beginning and no end, baked for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

1 recipe
Jewish Egg Bread
dough

1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds, for sprinkling, optional

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

To make a braided loaf:
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Using your palms, roll each portion into a fat cylinder, 12 inches long for the 1
¹
/
₂
-pound dough, or 14 inches long for the 2-pound dough, tapered at each end. Be sure the ropes are of equal size and shape. Place the 3 ropes parallel to each other on the baking sheet. Begin braiding from the center of the ropes rather than at the ends for a more even shape. Take one of the outside ropes and fold it over the center rope, then repeat the movement from the opposite side. Continue by alternating the outside ropes over the center rope. When completed, rotate the half braid and repeat the procedure from the middle out to the other ends. Adjust or press the braid to make it look even. Tuck the ends under, pinching the ends into tapered points.

To make a coiled loaf:
With your palms, roll the entire portion of dough into a rope about 20 inches long. Place the rope on the baking sheet, with one end in the center. Coil the rope around that end to make a loose spiral. Pinch the end under.

Cover the shaped dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is almost doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not let this dough rise longer before baking or it may collapse in the oven.

Twenty minutes before baking, set the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350°F.