{"id":23887,"date":"2018-08-31T14:07:14","date_gmt":"2018-08-31T19:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cupcakeproject.com\/?p=23887"},"modified":"2020-02-14T17:23:27","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T23:23:27","slug":"apple-challah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cupcakeproject.com\/apple-challah\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiced Apple Challah with a Pretzel Crust"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

This post was sponsored by Red Star Yeast. They make baking with yeast easy!<\/em><\/p>\n

Challah is my favorite bread. It’s the bread that my dad would bring home from bakeries when I was a kid and I would devour (adding no toppings whatsoever – not even some butter).<\/p>\n

Now, I make my own challah.<\/p>\n

While I love plain challah any day of the week, this spiced apple challah with a pretzel crust is an extra-special treat.<\/p>\n

What is Challah?<\/h2>\n

\"Challah<\/a><\/p>\n

Challah is eaten by Ashkenazi Jews during lots of religious ceremonies, including the weekly sabbath, and it is an enriched eggy bread that is typically braided. You’ll find some challah recipes that don’t have many eggs in them, but it isn’t a challah to me if the challah recipe doesn’t use a lot of eggs!<\/p>\n

You’ll also find that most challah recipes use oil rather than butter. By keeping them non-dairy, they can be served with any part of a holiday meal (milk and meat can’t be eaten together in Kosher homes).<\/p>\n

How To Make an Apple Challah<\/h2>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

There are many ways to make an apple challah and I tried them all when developing this recipe – fresh apples, apple juice, apple butter, and finally dried apples. I made seventeen versions of this challah in all before being satisfied with the end result.<\/p>\n

\"Dried<\/a><\/p>\n

Dried apples food processed with sugar and spices and then rolled into each strand of challah dough was the best option that I found for giving the challah a lovely apple flavor without compromising the consistency of the bread dough.<\/p>\n

\"Challah\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To kick up the apple flavor a little more, I top the apple challah with a glaze made from apple juice and powdered sugar.<\/p>\n

How to Make Challah Fluffy<\/h2>\n

\"Pretzel<\/a><\/p>\n

One thing that didn’t require testing was getting the bread to rise and bake up perfectly. I use Red Star Platinum yeast which\u00a0contains natural dough improvers which make the bread extra fluffy and adds tolerance to variations in kneading, rising, and flour quality. If you are at all nervous about baking with yeast, Red Star Platinum yeast should help take some of the fear away. It simply works!<\/p>\n

You can make this recipe with Red Star’s Quick-Rise Yeast as well and it will still be great, but try Platinum for the maximum in fluffiness.<\/p>\n

How to Give Challah a Pretzel Crust<\/h2>\n

\"Challah\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Most challah is brushed with an egg wash just before baking. I brushed mine with mixture of baking soda and water and sprinkled the top with sea salt to give the crust the taste of a baked pretzel!<\/p>\n

How to Braid a Round Challah<\/h2>\n

I like to make this challah for Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new year). The apples and honey symbolize a sweet new year!<\/p>\n

During Rosh Hashana, we eat braided round challah to represent the cycle of the year. But, whether or not you celebrate Rosh Hashana, a braided round challah is a beautiful presentation.<\/p>\n

Follow the steps below to braid a round challah.<\/p>\n

Weave four strands of dough over and under each other to form a sort of tic-tac-toe board shape.<\/p>\n

\"Round<\/a><\/p>\n

In each section of two strands, place the bottom strand over the top strand.<\/p>\n


\n\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

Moving the opposite direction, take the strands that are now on the bottom and put them over the new top strands.<\/p>\n

\"Braiding<\/a><\/p>\n

If you have enough remaining dough, repeat this process one more time in the original direction.<\/p>\n

\"Round<\/a><\/p>\n

Pinch what is left of the dough strands together and tuck them under the loaf.<\/p>\n

\"Round<\/a><\/p>\n

For a more detailed video on braiding round challah, check out my post on round challah for Rosh Hashana<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Sliced<\/a>
\n

<\/div><\/p>\n
Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>
\n\t
\"Apple<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print<\/a>\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Pin<\/a>\n\t
<\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/svg><\/span>
4.50<\/span> from 8<\/span> votes<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Apple Cinnamon Pretzel Challah<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n
Learn to make an extra special challah for Rosh Hashana or any time you want a treat.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Course <\/span>Side Dish<\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cuisine <\/span>Jewish<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Prep Time <\/span>10 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cook Time <\/span>40 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Resting Time <\/span>3 hours<\/span><\/span> hours<\/span> 30 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Total Time <\/span>50 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Servings <\/span>12<\/span> servings<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Calories <\/span>316<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Author <\/span>Stefani<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h3>

Challah Ingredients<\/h4>