Challah has taken over my life. Seriously and completely. I guess it happened when I realized that even though it takes me several hours and gives my arms a work-out, baking my own bread costs per loaf about half of what it costs to buy a pre-made loaf in the store. Sick, I know. I kept my challah baking secret for a long time. Living in a Jewish community, I knew the demand would be high (esp since my recipe is so good!), so it made sense to keep this under wraps. Well, I couldn't for long. I've made challah for far too many people to not make a quasi-business out of it. I am baking 4 challahs for Shabbat dinner on Friday, and thought I would let you in on it!
I will save my recipe and final pictures until the bread is baked (i.e. after Friday), but I wanted to address something in my mind far more important - the 6 strand braid. Lately, I have been seeing some lazy challah out there. Challah isn't braided with only 3 strands! It's not a pony-tail! Part of the texture of a challah comes from the 6 strands intertwined! My friend Krystal even told me that she knew a lady who tried to make her challah look like a 6-strand challah by putting two 3 strand challahs on top of each other! Really!
Ok, ok, enough rant. Here's my tutorial:
After dividing your dough into two lumps, roll out each lump of dough into 6 strands.
Connect the 6 strands at the top, starting with #6. Lay #5 over #6, lay #4 over #5, lay #3 over #4, and so on. Once you get to laying the last strand (#1) over the group of strands, roll the strands together at the top, connecting the dough like you would play-dough.
Cross #1 over all remaining 5 strands.
Cross #6 over #2, 3, 4, and 5.
Take #1 again, and with #6 firmly underneath, place #1 in between #3 and #4.
Pick up #2 and cross is over #3, 1, 4, and 5. After this you will place #6 in between #1 and #4. Then you will pick up #5 and cross it all the way to the left and so on.
Finally you get this! Ain't she a beaut?!
If those directions were a little confusing, here is a video tutorial that I found very thorough:
