Basic Pull-Apart Challah

Ingredients for Basic Pull-Apart Challah

• 60g (60ml ) active dry yeast

• 400g plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1450ml warm water (32°C to 38°C)

• 30g kosher salt

• 2.7kg high-gluten (bread) or plain flour

• 4 large eggs, separated

• 300ml canola oil

• Spray de cozinha

• 120ml sesame seeds

• 70g poppy seeds

1. Bloom the yeast: Dissolve the yeast and 3 tablespoons sugar in 475ml the warm water in a medium bowl; set aside to bloom. If the yeast doesn't bloom after 5 minutes discard the mixture and start over.

2. Place the salt, flour, and the remaining 400g sugar together in a very large bowl and stir together. Add the 4 egg yolks. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast mixture and the remaining 950ml water. Start kneading together; add 120ml canola oil. Knead for 10 minutes, adding 120ml canola oil, a small amount at a time, to create a workable dough. The dough will become a cohesive mass yet be a bit sticky. Rub a little of the remaining 60ml canola oil over the top and sides of the dough. Loosely cover the dough with a kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm spot for 15 minutes.

3. After 15 minutes, the dough will have relaxed a bit and should be easier to work with. Lightly oil your hands and knead the dough again until smooth and satiny, 2 to 3 minutes. Rub a little oil over the top and sides of the dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and place the bowl in a medium garbage bag. Place the open end loosely underneath the bowl to trap air. Let the dough rise in a warm dark corner of your kitchen until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Uncover the dough. With lightly oiled hands, punch the dough down to release air. Cover again with the bag, loosely tucked under, and let rise for 1 hour.

5. Divide the dough into five equal parts, about 900g each. Preheat oven to 191°C. Spray five 9-inch round baking pans with cooking spray.

6. Place one piece of dough on a smooth work surface. Squeeze out any air bubbles from the dough and roll in into a 12-inch rope. If the dough is sticking, lightly spray your work surface with cooking spray. Cut the rope into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place one ball in the centre of the prepared pan and surround it with the remaining balls. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough so you have five pans of challah. Loosely cover each pan with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise 15 minutes. (If you can't fit all the pans in your oven at once and you want your challahs to be as beautiful as possible, shape the remaining dough while the first round of challahs are in the oven so they don't see rise for too much longer than 15 minutes before baking.)

7. Beat the egg whites with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush the challahs. Sprinkle each with sesame or poppy seeds or a combination of the two.

8. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 177°C and bake until tops are dark golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes before serving warm, or cool completely on a wire rack.

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