Why do we eat round challah for Rosh Hashanah? Answers abound. The year is round. We read the torah scroll in a cycle that repeats yearly. It looks like a king’s hat. We hope for a sweet new year as we dip this sweet challah in honey.
This year I decided to try a new style for my round, raisin studded, cinnamon sugar filled, challah. I used the same basic dough I use all year, adding a cup of raisins plumped in hot water. After the first rise I punched down the dough, divided it in four parts, rolled out loaf number one to 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Then I generously sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar and rolled it up longways. Inspired by a babka recipe I read recently, I then cut through the log longways and twisted the two halves back together. Then I twisted the whole thing into a circle, put it on a parchment lined cookie sheet, brushed it with egg wash, and let it rise a second time. I baked the loaves at 350F with a second cookie sheet with some water on it immediately underneath (bread, parchment, cookie sheet 1, water, cookie sheet 2, oven rack). Two cookie sheets are essential to avoiding a scorched bottom. After the loaves baked for about 15 minutes I also covered the tops with foil to prevent the sugar on top from scorching.
Happy New Year.
what confuses me is the shots of the dough. did this rise in the fridge? did you store it in the fridge? forgive my ignorance!
these are beautiful as always!
I’m just mastering checking comments. oops. Yes, I let the dough rise in the fridge which takes longer, usually…