Merry Christmas Eve! I’m sensing very festive French toast in my future. # 377: Challah Wreath

This wreath might be a little too heavy to hang vertically on your door, but it rocks the horizontal look.

This bread bb is truly night and day from my first attempt at challah in 2017. That loaf was pretty but refused to rise despite sweet talking (and pleading.)

This one turned out much fluffier, yay!

The egg wash gave it a lovely shine but also gave it more of a toasted look than I was going for.

I’m sadly at the end of a large jar of dark local honey but since the flavor really comes through in this loaf, she went out with a bang!

So kneady.

I debated doing three colors (red, green and neutral) but with the math required to split it correctly for an 8-strand plait made my head spin.

Definitely easier just to split it down the middle for two colors.

*Quietly hums You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch*

I watched bread week from the most recent GBBO season (I know I’m super behind – no spoilers!) the day before I planned to make this wreath and spluttered in delight when I saw what the technical was.

Watching Paul masterfully plait a 7-strand loaf almost had me pivoting, but I’ll save that technique for another bake. Starting the plait in the middle and flipping it halfway through to keep it even is honestly genius.

The plait design video I was watching was on double speed (sigh) so I just had it going on a loop in hopes I’d catch the process unconsciously.

Basically, leave no strand uncrossed. If one is parallel to another, zoom out and try to find the misstep. Just keep crossing in a circle until you run out of dough!

Almost there…

Tuck the ends in and voila: a wreath!

*Happy dance for the plait actually working!*

The dough is so soft that without the colors, I think it would lose a lot of the design definition in the oven. I guess I can only make rainbow challah loaves from now on!

Looking a bit like a giant bagel here but we still love her.

Happy munching!

I’m not sure where I found this recipe, but it’s lovely and simple. Shouts to the author wherever you may be:

• 2 1/4 tsps yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 115g honey
• 56g butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 360g (up to 420g depending on how sticky the dough is) bread flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Food coloring if you’re feeling it

Combine water and yeast for 5 mins til bubbly in the bowl of stand mixer

Add all ingredients (only 2.5 to 3 cups of flour to start) and knead slowly with dough hook til it comes together

Add additional flour as needed (you want to be able to touch the dough without it sticking to your finger).

If you’re adding color, split the dough evenly into the amount of colors you want and add the food coloring to each.

Continue kneading for 5 mins.

Form into a ball (separate ones for each color if using) and let rise for an hour in a covered bowl in a warm place.

Lightly punch down, shape into loaf and let rest/rise for another 45 mins.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 mins. Munch!