Challah. I’ve never met a single person who doesn’t like it. Ever. And even if I were to, I doubt they could turn their nose up at Bonnie Eisner’s delicious family recipe (which you can find below). Friday afternoon welcomed students keen to learn how to make the mildly yet perfectly sweet Jewish bread. Everyone left with new skills, great tips and a homemade loaf of his/her own.

Rittenhouse resident (and longtime baker and challah enthusiast), Bonnie Eisner, led the lunchtime class and treated students to her family’s recipe. Her niece, professional photographer Shira Yudkoff, was on hand to capture the fun and aromatic class. (All photos in this post are courtesy of Shira)

Bonnie will teaching challah making again on Friday, October 14 at 12PM and since the class is only 1.5 hours and lunch is served, it’s the perfect way to spend your lunch hour. Sign up online here.

FAMILY CHALLAH RECIPE

NOTE:  Use the dough hook in a kitchen aid mixer to make this recipe.

Put in large mixer bowl:

• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 packs of rapid rise yeast
• 2 very full teaspoons salt (more or less to your taste)
• 1/2 cup honey

Mix on low speed until combined.

Add (Add slowly to flour while mixing):

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup veg oil
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water (I use the instant hot)

Mix in two eggs

Add about 3 cups of bread flour (one cup at a time), while kneading with dough hook, slowly until ball forms – I leave it a little sticky but rollable

Roll into ball and set in a greased bowl – roll around in the bowl to grease the whole ball – cover with a towel and let rise at least one hour until puffy

Knead again and add raisins if you choose to use them.

Shape  (raisins optional) I usually braid rolling out three or four long ropes of dough.

(NOTE: At this point the bread can be wrapped tightly in saran wrap and frozen)  If you freeze the dough after rising and braiding, just take out the morning of the day that you want to use the bread, put on greased pan with a light saran wrap cover in a warm dark place ( I use oven or microwave) and let rise again. It will rise as it defrosts. Takes about 3 – 5 hours to defrost and rise.

Rise braided dough about one hour

Brush outside of braided dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with topping (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion flakes, minced garlic, whatever)

Bake about 35 minutes at 350 until top and bottom are golden brown and bread sounds hollow when you tap it with a knife.

Makes two large loaves.