I must say, dear readers, that last week's challah fiasco caused two feelings to emerge inside me. The first was a feeling of abject failure. How, I asked myself, could someone who could create some foods so effortlessly, be completely loser-ific at making a simple challah...in a BREAD MAKER, no less!
The second feeling was just as powerful, but possibly a bit healthier. It was a sense of determination. I decided that if so many people in this world had the ability to bake a challah, then by gum, so could I! And with this simple thought and new attitude, I set off yet again on my quest to bake a challah that could not double as a paper weight.
My first stop was to the local library. I pored over bread recipes in beautiful books, but decided upon what I felt I needed most, "Bread Machines for Dummies". With alternating feelings of self pride in recognizing my need for help and seeking it, and the other being utter embarrassment, I sidled up to the counter. With eyes lowered, quite aware that everyone around me was witnessing the fact that this woman is inept when it comes to yeast, I checked out the book. I couldn't wait to get home to find out the answers to my two burning questions, (a) do you have to proof the yeast before adding it to the bread machine, and (b) is there something I need to be doing that I'm not? I had so much to learn.
Thumbing through the manual only got me more frustrated (I was obviously too dumb), so I abandoned the book altogether. The next day at work, I approached my friend and colleague, Tracey. Besides being a great teacher, Tracey is an expert challah baker (I know because she has brought her challah to school a number of times, and it has never made it up the stairs to the staff room). I was confident that she could answer all of my queries, especially because I knew that she uses a bread machine to make her dough. She not only answered my questions ((a) I didn't need to proof the yeast, and (b) I should be using bread machine yeast), but she graciously and generously offered me her challah recipe to try. She promised me that it would work. The thought was suddenly intruiguing...I could use a different recipe than the one I had, and I had guaranteed results. Could it work? I needed to give it a try.
So on Friday, when no one was looking, I grabbed the ingredients and began concocting. As I measured everything into the machine, one thought kept ruminating in my head---'This is stupidly simple. There must be a catch'. I then mused to myself, if it doesn't work, I still have the good one from last week in the freezer. When all of the ingredients were in the bowl, I hit the 'dough' setting on the maching and went off to do my chores.
All seemed fine until I realized that my hearing, or lack of it, had caused me a potential problem. Tracey had instructed me to add the raisins at the machine's first beep. Well, I missed the bleepin' beep! I was so frustrated that I just opened the magic little breadmaker door and threw the raisins in anyway, hoping against hope that somehow the machine would mix again. It didn't.
I did, however, manage to hear the bread maker beep after the mixing was done. I peeked through the window, just like I had done the week before. I took a deep breath and opened the little door. To quote Jed Clampett, 'Weeeell doggies'!
I took out the dough and mixed the stray raisins in by hand. I divided the mixture in two, fashioned two challot, 'took challah' as is the tradition, and popped them into the oven. I then walked away. I couldn't bear the possibility of these guys not rising.
One half hour later, I opened the oven door and....oh my goodness...they looked....AMAZING! All that was left was the taste test.
It was just me and New Hubby for Shabbat dinner....just us and two large challot. After the motzei, he sliced into one of the puppies. Lo and behold, it had worked! The challahs rose. They weren't raw in the middle. They tasted great. Tracey was right...they came out perfect.
Here's the recipe!
Tracey's Sweet Challah
1 cup water
4 tbsp (1/4 cup) oil
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tst baking machine yeast
1 cup raisins
Combine ingredients in order according to bread machine. Set dough recipe. Add raisins at first beep.
Bake at 350 for 30 min.
Enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom!
A quick P.S. Due to a mishap involving my camera, I do not have the photo of my great opus. You'll just have to rely on the recipe!
No comments:
Post a Comment