Elizabeth Colling's beautiful Apple Honey Challah for Rosh Hashanah
Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I am heading down to LA to celebrate by spending time with family and dear friends. I tend to associate the Jewish holidays with good company and delicious food. Traditionally, we dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize and welcome in a sweet New Year to come. More often than not, it is simply a sliced apple dipped in honey, but my friend Elizabeth (previously seen here) recently shared a delicious twist on that tradition with me. Elizabeth Colling, my old high school friend who has recently moved to Santa Barbara from New York City, just recently left her position as pastry chef and stylist at Martha Stewart Weddings.
Last week, Elizabeth asked me if I would be heading home for the holiday, as she wanted to make sure her special Apple Honey Challah made it to her mom’s table (she was not sure if she would be heading to LA or not). I told her I was happy to deliver a challah for the price of a challah! Sadly (for me), she and her family decided to drive down tomorrow as well to be with family. She did share the recipe (below). I am sure this challah is phenomenal based on everything else I have tried that Elizabeth has baked, but I am eager to try it in person (hint, hint, Elizabeth).
Happy New Year!
Apple Honey Challah
Makes One 9-inch loaf
Ingredients
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter or nondairy margarine, plus more for bowl, pan, and plastic
3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for surface
3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees)
2/3 cup honey
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
2 teaspoons coarse salt 1 1/2 tart green apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 3/4 cups)
Directions
Butter a large bowl, and melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.. Transfer dough to buttered bowl, and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2-by-14-inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tablespoon melted butter; cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. Butter plastic wrap, and cover dough. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.
Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Brush dough with half the honey-butter. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.. Brush challah with the remaining honey-butter. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.
Enjoy!!!
