We love this delicious spin on challah from Jamie Geller. JEWLISH brings you the most delicious food from around the Jewish world.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs (and 1 more for egg wash)
• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup warm water

Filling

• ⅓ cup canola oil
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Preparation

1. For this recipe, we make the dough on the counter because it's fun and you don't need to wash a huge bowl afterwards. Place the flour in the center of your table and make a hole in the center like a crater in the top of a pyramid.


2. In the center of the flour, add the eggs, yeast, honey, oil, salt and half of the water. Mix with a fork. Then using a spoon or your hands pull some of the flour from the edges into the center to form a dough. Add the remaining water while there is still a bowl shape in the flour. Mix into a dough and knead for 7 minutes. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.


3. While the dough is rising, make the filling a medium sized bowl. Add the oil, sugar and cinnamon. Mix.


4. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Separate the dough into 3 pieces. Roll each one into a square with a rolling pin. It helps to flip the dough and pull the corners with your hands. If you rip the dough, simply patch it with your fingers. Spread the cinnamon-sugar mix on the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch around the edges. Roll each square. Pinch the ends and stretch each strand to about a foot long. Braid them up! Place on a non-stick baking surface and cover for 30 minutes.


5. Gently brush the challah dough with one beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes. If the top is getting too dark, place a piece of foil on top of the challah in the oven.

 

by Jamie Geller