Save the date for a very special challah

Dates are a traditional, symbolic food for Rosh Hashanah and date syrup adds depth in both sweet and savoury foods. It is a favourite ingredient of mine and we will be combining it with tahini and swirling it through our sourdough challah at the bakery* for Rosh Hashanah this year. Below is a yeast version — but with a slow process, to allow it to fit around your kitchen schedule and to improve the texture, flavour and keeping quality of the loaves. You can use all date syrup instead of a mix of sugar and date syrup; the crust and crumb will be darker if you do.

INGREDIENTS

540g plain white flour 20g fresh yeast 70g water, slightly warm 4 medium eggs (200g total) 60g rapeseed oil 45g date syrup 50g demerara sugar 9g sea salt

Filling (optional)

80g date syrup 100g tahini

To finish

A whole egg beaten with a little salt Sesame seeds

METHOD

Combine 100g of the flour, the fresh yeast and all the water in a bowl or in the bowl of a free standing mixer. Allow to stand for 30 minutes until you see the mixture starting to bubble.

In a separate bowl combine the eggs, oil, sugar and date syrup.

Add the egg mix to the yeast mix and then the remaining flour and salt on top. Knead by hand for not more than five minutes until the dough seems smooth and has some structure, or for three to four minutes in the mixer.

It is a firm and not very wet dough. Do not add more flour or over-mix – the time the dough spends in the fridge continues to develop the gluten.

Place in an oiled bowl three times the volume of the dough, cover and refrigerate.

12 to 24 hours after refrigerating the dough, it should have tripled in size. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and gently deflate. Divide into as many pieces as you need for your intended braids.

If you are making two medium-sized round challot, divide into two and allow the balls of dough to rest for 30 minutes.

With a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough, flat circle. Combine the date syrup and tahini, if using and spread over the circle of dough. Roll up firmly like a Swiss roll and then twist the length of the dough and coil it around in a spiral, tucking the end under the loaf.

Brush with the egg and salt mix and allow to prove on a tray lined with baking parchment, in a warm place, for one and a half to two hours, until it is well proved, looks slightly wobbly and when you poke the loaf with your finger, the indent does not spring back.

Glaze again, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 150ºC/gas mark 3 for 25 to 30 minutes until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. MICHELLE ESHKERI

* It looks like an ordinary Yomtov loaf but, plaited inside, there is a symbolic and syrupy secret