Challah- Artisan bread in five minutes a day

Who would have thought that one will be able to make bread with out kneading etc....... I discovered about this facinating book in January 2008 and I have made few sweet breads and loved all of them.
There is no kneading in none of these breads, just mix them ,
Have made Sticky peacan rolls, Brioched filed with chocolate Gnache, and then there was this European peasant bread.

This time I thought why not make a Challah bread.
This is the bread traditionally served in Jewish households at the start of the Sabath on Fridat nights.I got the information from the book.

Makes four 1 pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halfed.
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp salt
4 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalterd butter, melted, plus more for greasing the cookie sheet.

1. mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt and eggs, honey and melted butter with the water in a 5 quart bowl, or a lidded ( not airtight) food container.

2: Mix the flour without kneading, using a spon , a 14 capacity food processor ( with the dough attachment) or a heavy duty stand mixer( with the dough hook). If you're not using a machine you may need to use your wet hands to incorporate the last bit of fflour.

3: Cover( not airtight) and allow to rest at toom temperature untill the dough rises and collapse ( approximatley 2 hrs).

4: The dough can be used immidietlyafter the intial rise, though it's easier to handle when cold. Refriderate in a liddded (not airtight) container and use over next 5 days. Beyond 5 days freeze in 1 pound portions in a aritight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost frozen dough onvernight in the fridge before using. Then allow the usual rest and rise time.

5: On baking day, butter or grease a cookie sheet oe line with partchmejnt paper ( i use a bread tin) .
Dus tthe surface of the refigerated dough with flour and cutt of 1 pound piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly qhape it into a ball by streatching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on al four sides, rotating the ball quater turn as you go.

6: Divide the vall into thirds, using a doug scraper or knife. Roll the balls betweek your hands ( or on board), streatching to form each into a long, thin rope. If the dough resists shaping from the center and working to one end. Turn the loaf over, rotate it and braid from the center out to the remaining end. This produce a load with a more uniform thickness when braideed from end to end.

7: Allow the bread to rest and rise on the prepared cookie sheet for 1 hour and 20 minutes ( or just 40 minutes if you are using fresh, unrefirgerated dough).

8: Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds.

9: Bake near the center of the oven for about 25 minutes. Smaller or larger loaves will requier adjusment in baking time.
The challah is done when golden brown, and the braid near the center of loaf offer resisitance to pressure. Due to the fat in the dough, challah will not form a hard, crackling crust.

10: Allow to cool before slicing or eating.
I did a double layer. So you will have to cut 2 potions from the dough. The dough is a bit sticky than the normal bread dough for handeling, but then jsut use a bit flour on your hand and the surface when you handle the dough.

Sending this this to event which was started by Zorra of Kochtopf which is hosted this month by Jamie of Life's a feast and she had choosed the theme, Baking bread for a birthday party. So if you want to join in her b'day bash do send in her your delicous breads.