Challah: bee inspired
THE CHALLAH MUMMY’S ROSH HASHANAH HONEYCOMB CHALLAH
INGREDIENTS
360ml lukewarm water
40g fresh yeast (or 1 tbsp active dried yeast) 1kg plain flour (or strong white bread flour) 8 tbsp honey
3 eggs
1 tbsp salt
60ml sunflower oil
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
METHOD
Dissolve the yeast and 1 tbsp of honey in a large bowl with the water.
Once bubbles start to appear, add a third of the flour, followed by two of the eggs (beaten), 3 tbsp of the honey, the salt and the oil. l Mix and bring the dough together by hand, adding flour little by little, until a ball of dough forms. Knead for five to ten minutes before placing in a lightly oiled bowl covered with cling film to rise for about an hour and a half or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, make your own honeycomb by mixing the caster sugar and the remaining honey in a high-sided saucepan and placing it on a low heat until it turns light brown.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the bicarbonate of soda. Pour the foaming mixture into a lined baking tin; leave to cool.
Roll out the challah dough into a thin, flat rectangle on a floured surface using a rolling pin and then cut it into long, thin strips of dough (approximately 3cm wide) using a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Plait three strips of dough at a time until you have lots of thin plaits of challah dough.
Cut and arrange the thin plaits in a formation of multiple hexagons on a large baking tray, lined with baking parchment, to make a honeycomb shape.
Cover the challah dough and leave it to rise for a second time for 45 minutes before beating the remaining egg and egg-washing the dough.
Bake the challah for 25-30 minutes at 180°C. Serve with shards of broken honeycomb scattered all over the honeycombshaped challah.