i call this my "rematch with the challah" because of how many times this past summer i have tried to make one & miserably failed. maybe it was the hot summer air or the high humidity, but i just couldn't get the damn thing to rise properly. it was frustrating, however i was determined to make the perfect challah bread & it finally happened. maybe it doesn't look as pretty as i had hoped it would, but it taste next to perfect. it's pretty much a challah version of cinnamon rolls, but a bit more eggy then the average cinnamon bun. i kept the filling on the light side so it wasn't overly sweet like a cinnamon bun. it can be eaten as your morning toast or as an afternoon snack dipped in tea. enjoy the last sunday of september, i couldn't be more excited for october! now time for me to turn the left over challah into something equally (or more) delcious.
ingredients
for the dough
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 package of instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
for the filling
- 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
directions
- in a measuring cup add warm water, yeast and honey. let sit for five minutes until the yeast begins to activate.
- in the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment, add sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg. in a separate bowl, whisk oil & eggs.
- with the mixer on low speed add the water/yeast mixture, followed by the eggs/oil mixture.
- mix or knead by hand until a smooth dough is formed, about 8-10 minutes. if dough appears too wet, add a touch more flour.
- transfer to a well greased bowl & let rise for 1-2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
- once dough has risen, divide it into three evenly sized pieces.
- roll each piece into a thin rectangular shaped. brush with butter 1/3 of your butter & sprinkle with 1/3 of the sugar & cinnamon. roll tightly (this step is similar to making a cinnamon bun). repeat with the remaing pieces.
- once you have completed all three pieces, gently braid them tightly together. pinch & tuck in both ends and transfer to a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
- bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the bread is cooked throughout.
like what you see? get it here. plate | knife | mug | linen | rolling pin | mixing bowl