As I type this recipe, the delicious and familiar smells of roasted garlic, sautéed onions, and baked apples waft through my childhood home. Usually I relish these smells of my mother cooking, but as I sit at my childhood desk today on Yom Kippur I am starving. At home, I help with pastry, but Mom is the Chef. My contributions this our Break Fast dinner were a marzipan challah, petits fours, a key lime pie, and this savory Breakfast for Break Fast challah. Woven, of course! 

RECIPE

Ingredients 

Challah (inspired by The Challah Blog):

• 1 1/4 cup very warm water
• 1 tbsp active dry or instant yeast
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 eggs + 1 egg for wash
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 6 cup bread flour
• 2 teaspoon salt

Recommended Filling:

• 1 stick cream cheese
• Handful of chives
• Salt
• Everything bagel spices (1 T white sesame seeds, 1 T dried onion, 2 t poppy seeds, 1/2 t onion powder, 1/4 t garlic powder) 

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast with the water. Add in the honey slowly. Mix gently.
• Let the mixture sit until it has developed eruptions and smells like beer.
• Mix in 3 eggs and canola oil.
• If you have a stand mixer, use it to mix in the flour.
• Mix in the salt.
• The dough should stick together as a ball. 
  • If the dough isn't sticky enough, add a bit of water. 
  • If the dough is too sticky, add a bit of flour. 
• Punch ("knead") the dough a few times. 
• Place dough ball in an oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap; allow to sit for at least 1.5 hours. 
• Prepare your filling: chop the chives, mix with cream cheese, and season. 
• Punch out the air bubbles. 
• Separate the ball into 4 equal-sized pieces. 
• Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece into a flat triangle, square, whatever. Maximize surface area but don't make each piece too thin; 1/2 inch is a good thickness.
• Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough, avoiding the edges. 
• Roll up each piece into a log ("strand"). Pinch the edges so that no precious filling is lost.
• Make sure each strand is at least 10 inches. (You can stretch it, gently.)
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 
• On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, braid the 4 strands. 
• Allow the dough to rise 20-30 minutes. 
• Brush the dough with the 4th egg. (I use the yolk and egg white.) 
• Sprinkle with Everything bagel spices. 
• Put the challah in the oven for 35 minutes or until the loaf is a perfect golden brown. 
• Voilà! Enjoy.