PS - yay for challah… its a fave!

Nick, it’s great to get your suggestions here. I feel like my cookbook is speaking to me! I never realized that the dough could rise too much; it seems counter-intuitive that getting too tall would be the thing to make the challah flat…chalk that up to my beginner-baker status. I love the idea of spraying honey on the challah. I’m sure my kids would love that too!

Rachel, do Nick’s suggestions help you out at all?

Debby, thanks for the lead on King Arthur. I just looked at their website http://www.kingarthurflour.com and I’m definitely going to try the organic white whole wheat. An employee-owned company that talks about a culture of inclusiveness–I’m buying!

I have also tried Joan Nathan’s Wholewheat Challah and it was gorgeous!

Cheers,

Rosa

Phyllis forwarded me your very kind e-mail and a link to read about your challah adventures, which are fun and informative. I actually started out writing for newspaper food sections by covering Jewish holiday pastries for the Daily News years ago - no one was interested in doing it, so I was able to fill a gap. I wrote about Teyglech, Hammantaschen, and did countless Passover dessert stories.

Now, about the challah. Normally you get that flattening out when the braid has risen too much right before being baked. Like any other dough or batter that has too much air or leavening, it just can’t set quickly enough to stay risen. You have further compromised the elastic strength of the dough by adding a non-gluten-forming flour. A less elastic dough will also have trouble holding in enough air to stay risen. Brushing cold honey on the braid might also deflate it a little, just from the pressure of the brush against the dough.

So here are my suggestions: under- rather than over-do the final rise before baking; use Yocheved’s recipe the way it appears in the book - she is probably the most talented teacher of Kosher cooking and baking ever to teach in the New York area (she now lives in Tel Aviv). No challah recipe of hers would ever resemble Wonder Bread, I assure you. If you must paint the outside with honey, warm it slightly to liquefy it, then add a little water. If you have a clean atomizer or spray bottle, use that to apply it so you’re not putting pressure on the risen dough with a brush.

Mazel tov,

Nick Malgieri