Nothing smells better than a challah baking. That might be a bold statement, but we’re standing by it! This soft warm bread is traditionally served for Shabbat dinner, but after you taste this warm buttery loaf, you will find excuses to make it much more often than once a week!
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour to rise Cook Time: 20–25 minutes Makes: 1 loaf
2½ teaspoons (7 g) yeast
¼ cup (60 ml) warm water (about 110°F [43°C])
3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey, divided
4 eggs
75 g almond flour (scant ¾ cup)
100 g arrowroot powder (heaping ¾ cup)
100 g potato starch (scant ¾ cup)
2 tablespoons (30 g) psyllium husk
¾ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup (80 ml) palm shortening, melted
In a small bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the honey. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes.
In the bowl of your mixer, beat the eggs until they lighten in color. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot powder, potato starch, psyllium husk and salt. Add the flour mixture, shortening and remaining honey to the eggs and beat until well combined.
Mix in the yeast mixture and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides a couple of times.
The dough will not be like a traditional bread dough, it will be more like cake batter.
Cover the bowl with a clean, dry towel and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 45 minutes. After an hour, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9 × 5 inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pan. Give the dough a stir and pour it into the pan. Let it rise again, for 15 minutes or so, until it fills about two-thirds of the pan.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. Allow the bread to cool before removing from the pan.
Bubbe’s tip: In my day, we braided our challah and ate it every Shabbat. If you must have it braided, you can find a mold on that computer you’re always on.