This past week was Rosh Hashanah. For those of you who aren't Jewish, or familiar with Jewish customs, that is the start of the Hebrew calendar. Traditionally, sweet things are eaten on Rosh Hashanah to celebrate and to hope for a 'sweet' new year. Apples and honey is a favorite combination. I ran across this recipe for cinnamon apple challah on Pinterest not too long ago, and it seemed oddly fitting, especially since Rosh Hashanah ran into Shabbat this year.
Cinnamon Apple Challah
Modified from ReformJudaism.org
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast (1 envelope)
1/2 cup warm water (100 degrees)
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tsp sugar
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 small apples, or 1 medium-large apple
In a large bowl, mix yeast, water, and 1/4 cup sugar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, until frothy. Mix in 2 eggs, oil, vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a soft ball. It should be firm enough to handle without being sticky, but still soft and pliable. Knead dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, adding more water if dough is tough or flour if it is sticky. Place the dough in a clean, warm bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour until about double in size.
Meanwhile, core and chop apples into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle on 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp sugar.
Once dough has risen, divide into three sections and roll each into a long, wide strip. Sprinkle some apples along the long edge and roll up, taking care to avoid air bubbles. Avoid placing the apple-cinnamon liquid into the dough, as this will make it much more difficult to handle. Repeat with remaining two sections of dough. Braid strands together, tucking ends under. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until triple in size, about an hour and a half.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the remaining egg with a small amount of water to create an egg wash, and brush the challah with the egg. Bake 25-35 minutes, until golden brown. The bread should sound hollow when tapped. Serve with honey!
My Notes:
So, I had too many apples. It didn't work so well. One of my rolls ended up falling apart, so I skipped the step to braid and just did tree spiral rounds. The original recipe called to bake for 35 minutes, but I was skeptical, so I set my timer for 30, and ended up taking the bread out with about 8 minutes left. Likely this was because it wasn't braided.
It's not a bad recipe. I'm not sure how much of a fan I am of the chunks of apples--I was expecting them to be a bit softer and melt into the batter a little more, but they kept their form and crunch fairly well. Still, it's got a nice flavor.
