Moveable Feast
  • home
  • services
  • bio
  • blog
  • contact
  • PHOTOS (summer)
  • photos (winter)
  • PRESS
  • faq

Feast Mode

a moveable feast blog

Pumpkin Challah

10/11/2017

2 Comments

 
Picture
​Because I ain't no Challahback Girl, I ain't no Challahback Girl!
 
Sorry, couldn't get Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" out of my head while making this pumpkin challah. No Doubt fans will understand.

I don't make homemade bread too often, as there are many extraordinary bakeries around me that offer all manner of amazing confections. But it was so worth making this particular bread at home. The aroma alone was intoxicating, and I've never seen pumpkin challah at any bakery.
​
Disclaimer: my BF is a writer-music-journalist and is meticulous with grammar, so he hates when I use too many !!!!!! [Ed. note: I'm letting this slide, but will need to see you after class.] But people, I mean, look at this challah! Oh my beloved October!

Pumpkin and challah is a divine combination. The inside is a gorgeous saffron yellow, the crust is laquered, and the bread itself is soft and has an ever so slight taste of pumpkin. You can taste it, but it doesn't overwhelm. 

There is, however, much down time, and you can do other things while the bread is rising and baking. ​When fully baked this loaf of bread is hefty, the BF and I feasted on this loaf of love for a week (we've made deli sandwiches, grilled cheese, french toast, bread pudding, croutons and eaten it plain, slicked with honey butter or cranberry butter—my favorite).
​
If you're invited to a dinner party or perhaps a holiday dinner, and the host asks you to bring the carbs, consider bringing this gem of a challah. Bet you're asked to bring it the following year.
​
Adapted from: The Bojon Gourmet, Smitten Kitchen and Joan Nathan
Number of servings: Makes 1 large loaf

According to Joan Nathan, the secrets to good challah are simple: use two coats of egg wash to get that laquer-like crust, and don't overbake it. Also, three risings always makes for the tastiest loaves.
Picture
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon rapid-rise yeast, or 5 teaspoons active dry, or 3 tablespoons fresh (I used active dry)
  • ½ cup luke-warm water
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs, plus 1 for brushing the bread
  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) butter, melted and cooled
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • about 5 cups all-purpose or bread flour (I used bread flour)
  • optional: 1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Directions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast, water, pumpkin, eggs, butter, sugar and salt. (If using active dry yeast, sprinkle yeast over water and let stand 5-10 minutes, until foamy, before adding the other ingredients.) Stir in the flour, a cup at a time, until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Add just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the surface, until the dough feels smooth and springy. Place in a lightly oiled bowl or container, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. I placed my dough in an oven that had been warmed to 150 °F and then turned off.  After 2 hours, punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press out the air bubbles. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Tuck the edges under to form loose rounds. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a large plastic bag and let them rest for 10 minutes to relax the glutens and make them easier to shape.
  3. Roll them into approximately 14-inch ropes. Connect the ropes at the far end, with the loose ends closest to you and then tightly braid (on my first attempt I braided mine a little too loose). Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the loaf.
  4. Now lift the loaf onto a parchmented baking sheet, put the whole thing in a large plastic bag, and let rise for about 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400 ºF with a shelf on the lowest rack. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg, and let rise another 15 minutes in the bag. Brush the loaf a second time, return to the bag, and let rise another 15 minutes or so. The bread should roughly double in size, and should hold the indentation of your finger when pressed lightly. (Optionally sprinkle the top with poppy or sesame seeds.)
  6. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 ºF and bake for another 20 minutes. Rotate the loaf, and bake another 10-15 minutes, for a total baking time of 40-55 minutes. The bread should be a rich brown, sound hollow when thumped on the underside, and an instant read thermometer should register at least 190 ºF when inserted in the center.
  7. Remove the pan from the oven. Cool loaf on a rack for 1-2 hours.
Picture
2 Comments

    Author

    I'm Jacquie, personal chef & recipe developer in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. ​Living life with my wildly funny boyfriend and dog Marlowe. Lover of books, bourbon, chocolate and movies.​

    Archives

    May 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017

    Categories

    All
    Ahi
    Apple
    Apple Pie
    Avocado
    Bars
    BBQ
    Beans
    Beef
    Beets
    Black Bean
    Blackberry
    Blueberries
    Borscht
    Bread
    Brownies
    Brussels Sprouts
    Bundt
    Butter
    Butternut Squash
    Butterscotch
    Cabbage
    Cake
    Caramel
    Carrot
    Challah
    Champagne
    Cheesecake
    Chicken
    Chili
    Chinese
    Chinese New Year
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Cinco De Mayo
    Citrus
    Cocktail
    Coconut Rice
    Comfort Food
    Cookies
    Corn
    Cranberries
    Crostata
    Crumble
    Cupcakes
    Curry
    Dessert
    Easter
    Egg
    Egg Nog
    Eggplant
    Fish
    Ginger
    Gingerbread
    Gluten Free
    Grain Free
    Green Sauce
    Gumbo
    Halibut
    Halloween
    Hannukah
    Healthy
    Holiday
    Holidays
    Ice Cream
    Indian
    Kale
    Key Lime
    Kohlrabi
    Kosher
    Lamb
    Latkes
    Lemon
    Lentil
    Low Carb
    Mac & Cheese
    Malt
    Mango
    Mango Salsa
    Mardi Gras
    Martini
    Memorial Day
    Mexican
    Miso Chicken
    Moroccan
    Mushrooms
    Naan
    Nectarine
    Noodles
    Olive Oil
    Parsnips
    Passover
    Pasta
    Pavlova
    Peanut Butter
    Penne
    Peppermint
    Pesto
    Pie
    Pizza
    Plums
    Pluot
    Pork
    Potatoes
    Pots De Creme
    Pudding
    Pumpkin
    Pumpkin Cake
    Quinoa
    Rajma
    Raspberries
    Ratatouille
    Risotto
    Root Beer
    Salad
    Salmon
    Salmon Bowl
    Salsa
    Sauce
    Scallops
    Shortbread
    Short Ribs
    Shrimp
    Side Dish
    Soup
    Soy Sauce Eggs
    Spicy
    Spiralized
    Steak
    Strawberries
    Sugar Free
    Summer
    Sweet
    Sweet Potatoes
    Tacos
    Tart
    Thanksgiving
    Tomatoes
    Turkey
    Valentine's Day
    Vegan
    Veganuary
    Vegetable
    Vegetarian
    Veggie Burger
    Whole30
    Whoopie Pies
    Yams
    Yellow Bell Pepper
    Yu Choy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • home
  • services
  • bio
  • blog
  • contact
  • PHOTOS (summer)
  • photos (winter)
  • PRESS
  • faq