Daring bakers challenge may 2012- Challah

May s Daring Bakers Challenge was hosted by Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood. Ruth challenge everyone to make challah. Using recipes from all over, and tips from "A taste of challah", by Tamara Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.
I made whole wheat challah and I really loved it. It wasn t too sweet so i eat it both sweet and sour spreads. I made three straind braid because I liked the story about it.Here is the story: many attrebute a word to each of the three strands used: zachor (remember), shamour (observe or guard) and b dibur echad (with one word). The braiding of the three words is  a physical reminder of the importance of remembering and observing Sabbath as one commandment.

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

15 g dry yeast
240 ml warm water 

100 g brown sugar

120 ml margarine
15 g salt
3  eggs
280 g whole wheat flour
280 g all-purpose flour
50 g rolled oats
Additional flour for kneading
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water for glaze

In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Allow to stand about 5 minutes until creamy/foamy.With paddle attachment beat 3 eggs, sugar, margarine (or butter), whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and oats into the yeast mixture. Or, if mixing by hand (ok, spoon), combine eggs and margarine/butter with yeast mixture until well mixed. Add flours and oats and mix until it becomes difficult to mix.Once combined, switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding flour as/if needed. If kneading by hand, this should take about 10-12 minutes.Form dough into a round, compact ball. Turn in oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen/tea towel. Let rise in warm area until doubled, approx. 2 hours. Once dough has doubled, punch down. Recover with towel, allow to rise again for an hour, but even 30 minutes will be fine if you’re in a hurry. Punch the dough down again, divide in two.Shape each half as desired. Place shaped loaves onto parchment covered baking trays. Cover with the towel and allow to rise another hour. Preheat oven to 180 C.Brush loaves with egg wash. (Sprinkle with vanilla sugar/sesame seeds/poppy seeds/other topping here if desired).Bake 30 to 40 min. until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.Transfer loaves to a wire rack to cool before serving.

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