Recipe: Pull-Apart Challah Rolls (2024)

FAQs

Why does my challah pull apart? ›

You added too much flour. Be sure to follow the directions carefully. You kneaded in too much flour when you worked the dough. You added too little liquid or eggs or oil.

Amount of flour: The key to a soft loaf that isn't dense is to use as little flour as possible. I start with 930 grams of flour and add up to 70 more grams based on what the dough needs. The amount of liquid in the dough will vary from loaf to loaf because “large” eggs are similar but not uniform in volume.

I continued to knead my dough for just about 5 minutes to ensure I didn't over work the dough. Over kneading can make the dough feel tough, and the gluten structure will tear instead of stretching. If you're kneading by hand, really get your whole body into the process in order to work the gluten.

If the dough tears, you haven't developed enough gluten and it needs more kneading. If it stretches without breaking, making a windowpane of sorts, you're done and you can let the dough rest.

Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread – people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it. Other culprits can be overproving or not kneading enough – the things you need to do to get a good structure.

Myrna's original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, and you can substitute that here. But I find bread flour gives the challah a nice chew without making it tough, and also helps the braided loaf maintain its shape after baking.

Overrising the first rise, which is when the dough is still just a dough, can occur. Usually if it overrose just a bit, say, for an hour extra in a cold kitchen, it doesnt really matter. You simply punch it back down and go on to the shaping.

You'll end up with a loaf that doesn't expand or bake well, and that is also misshapen and very sour. While some people (including us) like that biting flavor, others may find it too sour. Mistakes are inevitable when it comes to proofing bread, but there's no need to throw out dough if it proofs too long.

If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking. Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.

Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a thin layer of oil and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest and rise for 8–10 hours—overnight is perfect!

Can challah be made without braiding? ›

Challah does not need to be braided. Sometimes we make it into the shape of a ladder, especially for SHavuot; some make into the shape of a key on one specific Shabbat; some make it rectangular like their loaf pans; and we make round ones for Rosh Hashana.

So that's why I always say to leave your dough in the fridge, and it'll have a colder, slow rise because the yeast still eats away at the sugar, but it's at a slower rate than when you're keeping it at room temperature. Dough can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

If the area is too warm, bread will rise too fast and begin cooking before the yeast has finished acting. This will impart a "yeasty" taste to the dough that will be transferred to the finished baked loaf. Using old ingredients (rancid nuts, "old" shortening) will cause yeast breads to taste old or have an "off" taste.

Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it's puffy and doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours. Keep in mind that when baking yeast breads, rising times are only a guide. The temperature in your kitchen, the humidity level outdoors, and how you knead the dough will all affect the rising time.

Similar to the signs of over proofed dough, an over proofed loaf will be very flat, without much rise or retention of shaping. Over proofing destroys the structural integrity of the bread, so loaves that have gone over are unable to hold their shape in the oven.

Usually if it overrose just a bit, say, for an hour extra in a cold kitchen, it doesnt really matter. You simply punch it back down and go on to the shaping. However, if the dough is left out for a long time, unrefrigerated, it can spoil, especially in the summertime.

After the ten minutes, turn the mixer back on or knead by hand. Keep mixing for about 3-4 minutes and you should see your dough begin to soften and come smooth and nice to the touch. Now your dough is done!