This past weekend, our esteemed friend the Baron von Hammer came to dinner.

Now, the Baron is one of my favorite people on the planet to feed, so I always try to put together an extra special, stick-to-your-ribs menu when he comes calling.

I also seem to be making a tradition of stuffing him with brontosaurus-sized slabs of meat.

Last time, it was Steakhouse-Style Pan Roasted Sirloins. This time, I did much the same thing, but with thick, bone-in rib-eyes. There was a cheesy noodle dish. There was a chocolate cheesecake (more on that in a few days).

And there was Fougasse. (Because you can’t invite a baron for a feast and serve him store-bought bread, right?)

Fougasse is a traditional Provencal bread that’s studded with olives and fresh herbs. It’s chewy and flavorful and (you guessed it) totally my new favorite bread.

Since I decided to make this on the fly, I made due with what I had on hand: Marinated green olives and dried rosemary and thyme.

You can definitely do the same. This bread would be fabulous studded with anything from smoked salt to fresh dill or even toasted walnuts.

The bread is rustic and so pretty to bring to the table—and really easy to make. Serve one or two with dinner, and send the rest home with your friends.

To the ovens!

Fougasse

(Provençal Bread with Olives & Herbs)

Adapted from Saveur

1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/3 cups water
4 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing dough
1 tsp. kosher salt
Cornmeal, for dusting
1/2 cup kalamata olives, minced
1/4 cup green olives, minced
2 tbsp. parsley, minced
2 tbsp. thyme, minced
1 tbsp. rosemary, minced
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Yields 5 loaves (they’re on the thin side, so it’s not a totally unmanageable amount of bread)

Proof your yeast

Grab your yeast.

Put the yeast and sugar in the bowl of your mixer (or a large mixing bowl if you’re mixing by hand).

Toss in the water. (It should be warm enough to wash your hands, but not hot. Water that’s too hot will kill yeast, and your bread won’t rise.)

Whisk it together. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Take the time to do this. It’s the test to check and make sure that your yeast is alive and happy. I always do, even though it seems unnecessary, because I’d hate to add all the other ingredients, then find out that my bread won’t rise.)

After about 10 minutes, your yeast should “bloom.”

In other words, you’ll see a little opaque raft floating on the surface of the water. That means your yeast is alive and happy.

Make the dough

Toss in the flour and salt.

Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Give it a quick  mix to start the dough. I do this so that the mixer doesn’t throw flour all over my counter when I turn it on.

Knead for about 5 minutes on medium high, until you have a firm, dry-ish dough.

The first rise (about 1 1/2 hours)

Round up the dough in a rough ball in your bowl. Cover with a few damp paper towels and let it rise for about an hour and a half, or until it’s doubled in size.

(I did this in a new bowl, since I was using my mixer for something else and needed the bowl clean. If you’re not, you can just leave it in the bowl you mixed it in.)

(Sidebar: Penelope is really turning into a Kitchen Dog. She loves to hang out with me while I’m cooking! Isn’t she getting big?)

Shaping the loaves

When your dough has about doubled in size, you’re ready to shape your loaves. Line 3 sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.  Toss a little flour on a board.

Grab your dough. Smoosh it around in your hands to get the air out of it. It should be on the dry side (as in, it won’t stick very much to your hands).

Round it up in a ball and set it on your board.

Whack it in 5 even wedges with a bencher or sharp knife.

Grab one wedge.

Roll it out so it’s about 8 inches long and 5 inches wide at the base.

Cut 3 long slits and 1 short slit in it like this:

Take the dough and transfer it to one of your prepared parchment lined pans. (Toss a little cornmeal on the paper if you like. I completely forgot to do this.)

When the dough is on the pan, pull the slits apart. This is going to be pretty representative of your finished bread, so be sure you’re happy with how the dough looks.

Repeat with the rest of the dough. I could fit 2 breads on 1 sheet pan.

Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let them stand for about 30 minutes. They will poof up a little, but not dramatically. That’s just fine.

Bake the fougasse

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees about 15 minutes before you’re ready to bake. Chop up the olives and herbs. Like I said, I used dry herbs in a pinch here.

Lightly brush the surface of the dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped olives.

Toss on a little salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Bake the bread

Pop them into the oven and bake at 500 degrees for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.

I split my dough between 3 pans, so I baked 2 pans at once, then did the last pan afterwards.

Let cool on a wire rack, if you can bear to wait to tear into them. Enjoy!

Related posts:

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2. Reader’s Choice Recipes: Braided Challah Bread Challah is a traditional yeast bread—with a glossy crust frequently...
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Sooner or later, all my conversations inevitably turn to food.

Don’t believe me? Call me up sometime and try to, say, sell me some insurance. I guarantee that before we get off the phone, I’ll be giving you my recipe for blackberry jam. I can’t help it. It’s just how I work.

Perfect example: I was in a meeting a few weeks ago at the office. We finished up our conference call, started chatting as we wrapped up—and somehow wound up talking about stuffed breads. (Really. I have a recipe loosely jotted on the cover of a folder.)

What was the best way to make them? What kind of dough should you use? How can you keep them from bursting, etc.

Ah, the Frankenroll

This recipe borrows heavily from two fairly unrelated things. The stromboli, that rolled and stuffed bread extraordinaire—and the cinnamon bun.

To make these rolls, spread pizza dough liberally with melted butter, sprinkle it with cheese and spices, roll it up like a stromboli—then slice and bake like a pan of cinnamon buns.

The result? The rolls are soft, savory, and totally buttery and delicious. They’re topped with a layer of crispy, brown cheese, and shot through with molten cheese.

Fill them however you like

The best part about these rolls? You can stuff them with anything you like. Different cheeses (use any that melt well). Chopped pepperonil, olives, and spinach. Fresh herbs. Bits of leftover bacon or ham.

This is what I always refer to as a Sliding-Scale Recipe. Basically, that means it’s a recipe that works whether you put in a lot of effort—or hardly any at all.

You can toss it together with a ball of pre-made dough and a bag of shredded cheese from the grocery store—or you can go all out and make the dough from scratch and grate your favorite cheeses by hand. It’ll be delicious either way.

I like to throw these rolls together on a weeknight. All you need is a ball of pizza dough (grab one at the grocery store or from a local pizza joint) and a bag of shredded cheese.

It’s a great way to get fresher-than-storebought bread on the table when you have kids running around—or, say, a brand new puppy—or have just had a long day and are in the mood for some carb-laden goodness with dinner.

So, this one’s for you, Scott. It’s not *exactly* a stromboli, but it’s definitely a delicious first cousin.

Cheese Pinwheel Rolls

1 ball pizza dough
2 Tbls. butter
1 – 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
garlic powder

Makes about a dozen rolls

Lightly grease an 8-inch x 8-inch glass baking pan. Set it aside.

Roll out the pizza dough

Grab your dough (homemade or store bought).

Plop it on a lightly floured board.

Smoosh it flat and roughly in the shape of a rectangle.

Roll it out in a rough rectangle.

(Be sure to make your junior kitchen staff feel included.)

Spread the dough with butter & cheese

Melt the butter. (I do this in the microwave. About 20 seconds on high usually does the trick.)

Pour it in the center of your rolled dough.

With your hand or a spatula, spread the butter to cover the dough.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle the dough with an even layer of finely shredded cheese. I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar.

You want to lay it on thick (cover the Parmesan so you don’t really see it), but not too thick.

Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and garlic powder. If you want to add other ingredients (herbs, olives, etc.) add them in a thin layer now.

Roll up the dough

Roll the dough up like this, so you wind up with a long tube. Tuck the cheese in as you roll, like you would when rolling a burrito or a spring roll.

Next, whack it into about 12 pieces.

I make them about an inch or so wide.

The end pieces will be kind of scrawny. That’s just fine. You’re going to stick them together in a corner of the pan to form one roll.

Take one roll carefully, so that it doesn’t unroll. Set it in the corner of your prepared pan.

Repeat with the rest of the rolls, until you’ve nestled them all in.

Stick the ends into a corner together. They’ll sort of bake together into one roll.

Let rise for 3o minutes

Cover with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

They won’t poof up much after 30 minutes.

Bake the rolls

Pop into your preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

They’re done when the dough is lightly browned, and the cheese has bubbled up and formed a nice, golden brown crust.

(Here are those ends you stuck together.)

The bottoms should have a similar, golden brown cheese thing going on, as well.

Cool them in the pan for about 10 minutes.

Then airlift them out with a spatula or two. Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature.

Pull apart. Serve and enjoy!

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All this cold, wet weather we’ve been having in Boston has put me in a serious mood for comfort food. (I mean, really. Folks in the northeast: Are you ready for spring, or what?)

Freshly baked bread is always near the top of my list of yummy, carb-laden indulgences.

Much like homemade butter, once you make your own sandwich bread, it’s kind of hard to go back to regular ole grocery store white bread.

Making your own bread is also really easy to do. It takes a few hours to make bread from start to finish, but most of that is for the actual rising and baking. There’s very little real hands-on time.

This recipe makes two one-pound (i.e. standard size) loaves of bread. Bake them on Sunday night—along with, say, a Deli-Style Roast Beef—and you’ll have delicious sandwiches all week long.

The crumb is even and light in texture.

The crust is soft and just a little bit chewy.

And nothing makes your house smell as wonderful as freshly baked bread.

Not to mention, it makes amazing toast.

You don’t need any special equipment to make bread. Just a couple of regular loaf pans (you can get fancy ones, or pick a few up at a well-stocked hardware store).

I usually use my stand mixer (it’s faster) to knead the dough, but you can just as easily (well, almost) do it the old-fashioned way: With your hands and a little elbow grease. There’s actually something really satisfying about kneading bread dough by hand.

Three important things to know about yeast

1. Keep your yeast cold—It’s a living organism, and too much heat will kill it. (Dead yeast = dough that doesn’t rise.) The fridge or freezer is best.
2. Measure your yeast by hand—Especially if it comes in those little paper packets. (You know the ones I mean.) The amount in each envelope can vary a fair amount.
3. Always proof your yeast at the beginning of a recipe—Most recipes will start with something like, “Add your yeast to lukewarm water and let it sit for 10 minutes.” When it bubbles, you know it’s happy and alive. That way, you know if you have a problem with your yeast BEFORE you add all the other ingredients to the dough.

I’ve used SAF Instant Yeast for years. (The folks at King Arthur Flour swear by it for reliability.) I keep mine in the freezer in a mason jar.

Here you go.

Homemade Sandwich Bread

2 cups lukewarm water
2 Tbls. sugar
1 Tbls. dry active yeast
2 Tbls. butter, softened
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour + more for kneading the dough
1 Tbls. kosher salt

Yields 2 standard loaves

Proof the yeast

Put the water and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk vigorously to dissolve the sugar. (Yeast eats sugar, so consider this its appetizer before you add the flour.)

Toss in the yeast.

Whisk again to dissolve. Walk away from the bowl for 5-10 minutes to give the yeast time to work.

After 5-10 minutes, there should be a thick, creamy layer on the surface of the water.

That means the yeast is alive and kicking, so you can keep right on going.

Make the dough

Toss the flour and salt into the bowl with the yeast.

Cut your soft butter up into a few pieces (to make it easier to work into the dough evenly).

Toss the butter in with the flour.

Mix well to combine the ingredients. If you’re using a stand mixer, use the dough hook. (I use a stand mixer to knead my dough, but I always get it started by hand to keep the flour from flying all over the place.)

Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes.

It’s ready when it’s formed a smooth ball that feels elastic-y when you touch it.

Other signs the dough has been kneaded enough: Very little of the dough will stick to the dough hook when you pull it out of the bowl…

…and there will be very little dough actually sticking to the sides of the bowl.

The first rise

Round the dough up into a ball. Put it in a large, lightly greased bowl.

Coat a piece of plastic wrap with a little oil. Loosely cover the bowl with it, oil side down.

Let it sit in a warm place for about an hour, or until it’s doubled in size. If you check it after about 15 minutes, you should notice that it’s started to grow:

After about an hour, your dough should be doubled in size.

Form the bread loaves

Punch the dough down. (Basically, just poke it a bunch and smoosh the air out of it.)

Knead it a couple of times (I do this in the bowl) and form it into a neat ball. It should be smooth and tacky, but not sticky.

Sprinkle a little flour on a board. Set the dough ball on the flour.

Whack the ball in half with a bencher or a large knife. Each half will become one loaf.

Grab one half of the dough.

Knead it a few times by folding it in thirds over and over.

The second rise

Lightly grease two one-pound loaf pans. Set the formed loaf in one of the pans. Repeat with the other ball of dough.

Set the pans in a warm place, uncovered.

Let the loaves rise like this for about an hour, or until they’ve doubled in size.

About 15 minutes before your hour is up, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the bread

When your loaves have doubled in size, pop them into your preheated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

When they’re done, the tops should be a nice light brown.

Yank the pans out of the oven.

Let them cool for 5 minutes in the pans. Then, with potholders, tip the loaves out of the pans and let them finish cooling on a rack.

(A good tip for checking if your bread is cooked through? Thump on the bottom of the loaf. If it makes a hollow sound, you’re bread is baked through.)

If you can bear it, let them cool to room temperature before slicing. When you slice bread that’s hot out of the oven like this, the remaining loaf can get a little gummy.

Bread will keep well, tightly wrapped on the counter or the fridge, for about 4 days. If, of course, it lasts that long.

Enjoy!

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Here’s my take on a popular recipe for Buttermilk Cluster rolls. These rolls are crusty on the outside, soft and moist on the inside—and dotted with bits of bacon and toasted pecans.

When I toasted the pecans, I did it in the pan that I fried the bacon in, so they pick up a little bit of that smokey flavor.

These rolls would be a great addition to a fall or winter feast (I’m thinking alongside a rib roast). That said, The Angry Chef and I ate them for breakfast, toasted and slathered with cold butter, standing up at the kitchen counter.

These rolls are baked in a 9-inch springform pan and you pull them apart once they’re cool.

The original buttermilk cluster recipe

I started with this recipe from The Fresh Loaf that was posted here on Saveur magazine’s website.

The reader reviews on Saveur.com were all over the map. There were arguments about how much flour was correct to use, whether there was enough flavor, etc. The reviews on The Fresh Loaf were consistently much better.

I think Saveur reviewer paranoidtourist put it best: “Relying on the measurements in the recipe for any bread recipe is like getting directions from one place to another using animals as landmarks; you’ll get somewhere, but probably not where you had in mind.”

That’s a longer way of saying: Baking bread is a fickle task.

It depends just as much on the temperature in your house, if your yeast is fresh, how humid it is, the moisture content of your flour, as it does on the actual recipe. (If you’re in a really dry climate, you probably have to add more liquid to your dough, etc.)

All that said, the picture was absolutely mouthwatering, so I figured I’d give them a try. I modified the recipe a little and was quite pleased with the results.

Ingredients for buttermilk rolls

I used regular ole lowfat buttermilk. A handful of people on The Fresh Loaf used buttermilk powder. I haven’t tried that, but it looks like it’s an OK option if you don’t have any of the fresh stuff. (I assume you reconstitute it according to the directions on the package.)

For the bacon, I used Black Forest bacon from Whole Foods, which is a little sweeter than regular bacon. This is my favorite bacon of all time, but it can be hard to find. By all means, use what you like.

I included pecans in this recipe because I really like them with bacon. Walnuts would be great, too.

Bake buttermilk rolls in a springform pan

Making these rolls in a springform pan helps keep the dough balls together as they rise and bake, which makes for a really pretty finished bread. It also gives the sides of the rolls a nice crust.

A springform pan is one of these things. It’s the kind of pan you traditionally use to make a cheesecake.

The bottom is removable. When you flip open this latch, the sides of the pan expand to make it easier to get your cake (or in this case, your rolls) out. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend one of these.

Buttermilk Cluster Rolls with Toasted Pecans and Bacon

Adapted from Saveur and The Fresh Loaf

1 Tbls. active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 ⁄ 2 tsp. sugar
1 3 ⁄ 4 cups buttermilk
3 tbsp. maple syrup or honey
5 cups flour
1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
4-5 strips of bacon, chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Oil or butter to grease the pan
1 egg, beaten w/1 Tbls. water

Makes 12 rolls in a 9-inch springform pan

Proof the yeast

Toss the yeast and sugar in the bowl of your mixer.

Add the lukewarm water. (Be sure it’s not hot. Hot water can kill the yeast.)

Whisk the water, sugar, and yeast together. Let this sit on the counter for about 10 minutes.

Make the dough

Add the maple syrup or honey to the bowl. (I used maple syrup.)

Add the buttermilk.

Whisk the whole business together until it’s uniform. (You want to dissolve the syrup/honey.)

Toss in the flour and the salt. I used 5 cups of flour. You might need a little more or less depending on where you are (see note in the intro).

Knead the dough by hand or with the dough hook on a stand mixer for about 5 minutes.

You want the dough to come together in a smooth, not-too-sticky ball like this (depending on where you live, you might need to add a little more flour or buttermilk). Like I said, this is the fickle part of bread baking. You have to play some things by ear.

Let the dough rise for about 2 hours

Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Set it aside to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it’s doubled in size.

When the dough has just about doubled in size, like this, you’re ready to deal with the bacon and pecans.

Prep the bacon and the pecans

Dice up the bacon.

Put it on the stove in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. You want to cook it like this until it’s crisp.

While the bacon’s in the pan, chop up the pecans.

I chopped mine up roughly, because I wanted a rustic bread. If you want to go nuts (har, har), by all means, chop them more evenly.

When the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set it aside in a bowl. (Try not to gobble down too much.)

When it’s cool enough to handle, chop the bacon up into smaller pieces. (I do this now, as opposed to when the bacon is raw, because it’s kind of a pain to cut the slippery raw stuff into really small pieces.)

Pour out most of the bacon fat from the frying pan and discard (or save it for something else).

Toss the chopped pecans into the pan. Saute the pecans in the little bit of bacon fat that’s left in the pan over medium heat. Keep an eye on them and stir frequently, because they can scorch.

When the pecans are lightly brown and very fragrant, transfer them to the bowl with the chopped bacon. Set that aside for a minute while you deal with the dough.

Knead the bacon and pecans into the dough

Punch down the dough to smoosh the air out of it.

Toss the bacon and pecans into the bowl.

Fold the dough over a few times to start to work the bacon and pecans through the dough.

Then start to knead in earnest, until the ingredients are fairly uniformly incorporated through the dough.

Form the buttermilk rolls

Round the dough up into a ball and set it on your counter (it shouldn’t really stick, but if it does, toss a little flour under it).

With a bencher (that’s one of these things, one of my favorite kitchen tools) or a big knife, whack the dough into 12 pieces, just like cutting a pizza. Don’t worry if they’re not all 100% the same size. They’ll be close enough.

Grab one of the wedges of dough. Roll it into a ball between your palms.

Spray your springform pan down lightly with a little oil. Set the dough ball in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

I like to make a circle of dough balls on the outside rim, then fill in the center for an even design. Arrange them however you like.

Let the rolls rise for about an hour

Cover the pan with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap (so when the rolls rise, they won’t stick to the plastic). Set them in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

When they’re just about there, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Mine rose to just above the edge of the pan.

Brush the tops of the rolls with beaten egg

To make the egg wash, beat an egg together with a tablespoon of water.

Gently brush the beaten egg over the tops of the rolls with a pastry brush (or your fingertips, in a pinch). This makes the top of the bread shiny after it bakes.

Don’t press too hard, or else you can deflate the little guys. Don’t make yourself nuts getting every nook and cranny on the top.

Bake the buttermilk rolls

Pop the pan into your pre-heated 400-degree oven. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until the rolls are shiny and warm brown on top.

Now, the Saveur and The Fresh Loaf recipes have you test the rolls for doneness by temperature.

I’ll admit that I don’t often do this. A nice brown crust and a good hollow sound when thumped (another sign that bread is baked through) are usually good enough for me.

If you’re so inclined, however, you’re aiming for about 190 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. (Stick the thermometer in the dead center of the loaf, not touching the edges or bottom of the pan.)

When they come out of the oven, let the rolls cool for about 15 minutes in the pan.

Then, slip off the outer ring of the springform pan and let them cool on a rack.

When you’re ready to serve, rip the rolls apart. Keeps well wrapped on the counter for about 3 days.

Enjoy!

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You picked ‘em, now I’m cooking ‘em. First, it was Pad Thai. Next up is homemade Challah.

This is the second recipe in our Reader’s Choice series, put on in partnership with my fabulous friends over at Cookstr.com.

This recipe is originally by Nick Malgieri, former executive pastry chef at New York’s Windows on the World and current director of the baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education. The recipe is featured on Cookstr.com, as well as in Malgieri’s book, How to Bake.

I’m pleased as can be about the timing of this post. It’s just in time for the Jewish New Year this weekend. And the cooler weather we’ve been having this week has left me just itching to bake.

So what is Challah bread, anyway?

Challah is a traditional yeast bread—with a glossy crust frequently dappled with sesame seeds—that gets its trademark golden yellow color from the addition of eggs.

Older recipes include several eggs. Most modern versions, like this one, usually call for fewer. (In this case, just two whole eggs plus one additional yolk.)

While it’s eaten in many parts of Europe, it’s probably most well known in the U.S. as a Jewish celebration bread served on the Sabbath and holidays.

You can form the airy bread into several different shapes. A braid is one of the most traditional.

Freshly baked Challah keeps for a day or two on the counter, and freezes well for about a month. It also makes a-ma-zing French toast. (More on that soon.)

While I’ve baked dozens of loaves in my day, I’m by no means an expert on the history and lore of Challah, so if you have other fun facts, please pipe up and leave a comment!

How to make braided bread (it’s easier than you might think!)

In my book, braided breads are some of the most satisfying—and forgiving—loaves to bake.

You can be fairly imprecise with your braid. It can be a little uneven. It can be lumpy. But, it always amazes me how a little time in the oven can transform a few tightly twisted ropes of dough into a poofy, gloriously impressive work of art.

I mean, this:

Turns into this (yes, please!):

Challah isn’t the only bread that takes well to braiding. I’ve also made braided French loaves…

And chocolate loaves…

It’s also really easy to turn a braid into a wreath. Just connect the two ends so the braid forms a circle. Then pinch it together so that it’s secure.

Here’s a large loaf of Challah-like bread I made for New Years a year or two ago. I doubled my dough recipe. The finished bread was about as big as a large pizza pan—and a huge hit at the party we brought it to.

Braided breads are great to bring to holiday gatherings. They look impressive, but are really pretty simple to make—even if you consider yourself a really novice baker.

(Read on for step-by-step instructions on forming the loaf. Trust me. If you can braid your pigtails, you can make a braided bread.)

Tips on equipment & ingredients for making challah

Malgieri makes this bread in a food processor. I used my 11-cup Cuisinart to mix the dough, per his recipe, but my bowl was pretty close to full—which meant I had a hard time getting the dough to come together.

The next time I make this, I’ll definitely opt for my stand mixer. (You could also make this the old fashioned way: With a wooden spoon and a lot of elbow grease.)

Oh, and about the yeast. No matter what brand of yeast you’re using, always measure it with a measuring spoon—even if it comes out of one of those little envelopes. Packets of yeast are notorious for not always containing the same amount of yeast.

Take two seconds to measure it out and be sure you’re not tossing in too much—or too little. If your house is hot (or you don’t bake a lot), store your yeast in the freezer to help it keep longer.

Yeast

Alrighty. To the ovens!

Braided Challah Bread

By Nick Malgieri

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm tap water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil + a little more for the bowl during the first rise
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

Egg wash: 1 egg well beaten with a pinch of salt

Yields 1 large, braided loaf

Make the challah dough

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse the dry ingredients together quickly to combine them.

Put the water in a separate bowl and toss in the yeast.

Whisk the yeast and water together to combine well.

Pour in the oil. (I used olive oil, but use a milder flavor oil, like canola, if you like.)

Add the eggs to the mixture.

Whisk to combine well. You want to completely incorporate the eggs. Your mixture will be about the color of cafe-au-lait.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients in your food processor, pulsing about 8-10 times as you go.

When all the liquid is in the bowl of your food processor, run the machine continuously for about 30 seconds, until the dough comes together and balls up. (This is where I ran into a little trouble.)

I wound up taking the cap off my Cuisinart twice, scraping down the sides and loosening up the dough, then processing it again quickly. This is where I decided to use my stand mixer next time. You want your dough to look about like this:

Challah dough: The first rise

When your dough has come together, transfer it to a lightly floured board.

Round it up into a neat ball with your hands and knead it a few times.

Drizzle a little oil (again, I used olive oil) into a large mixing bowl. I used maybe a tablespoon, give or take.

Toss your dough ball into the bowl with the oil. Roll it around to coat it completely. (This will keep it from sticking to the bowl later on.)

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a few warm, damp paper towels (I like to do this, because that little bit of heat and moisture give the yeast a little boost). Set the bowl aside on the counter and let it rise for about an hour, until it’s about doubled in size.

Braid the dough and let it rise a second time

Once your dough has about doubled in size, you’re ready to braid it. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set it aside while you deal with the dough.

Transfer your dough to a lightly floured board. Smoosh the air out of it with your hands.

Round it up gently into a tidy little ball.

Whack it in three even pieces with a bencher or butcher’s knife. Make the pieces as even as you can, but don’t make yourself nuts. (If you want to make them perfectly even, weigh each piece of dough.)

Take one piece of dough and roll it out into a rope that’s about 12-15 inches long.

Repeat with the other two blobs of dough. When you’re done, set the ropes on your prepared sheet pan.

Now, for the braiding. Turn the pan so that the dough is pointed at you like this:

Start braiding in the middle of the dough. (Yep, you heard me: In the middle, not at one end. Malgieri said that doing it this way helps create a more even braid. And he’s totally right.) Braid away!

Leave the ends a little loose for now.

Your braid should be half done, and look about like this:

Repeat with the other side.

When the braid is complete, grab the ends of one side. Pinch them together and tuck them neatly under the loaf.

Like this:

Repeat with the other end. And your bread is ready for its second rise!

Cover the dough braid with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Set it on the counter for another hour, or until it’s just about doubled in size.

Bake the challah!

About 15 minutes before your second rise is done, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. When your dough braid has doubled in size, it should look about like this:

Beat up the egg wash really quickly. (Crack an egg in a bowl, toss in a pinch of salt, and whip furiously for a minute or two until frothy.)

Using a brush (or even your fingers) gently brush the surface of the dough braid with the beaten egg. Be careful not to press too hard on the dough, because you can deflate it.

Pop your pan into your preheated 400-degree oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is nice and brown.

When it’s done, it should register about 210 degrees on the inside (use a meat thermometer), and should produce a hollow sound when you thump the crust with your fingers.�

Let it cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. (Resist the urge to tear into it when it’s piping hot. It can leave your loaf a little gummy when it cools.)

Enjoy!

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