I think it’s sort of funny that the last recipe I posted was paleo bread.  I like health contrast!

Also, I loooooooove challah.  Oh man, I love it so.  Much.  The smell, the taste – it’s so rich, eggy, and and satisfying that I was really excited to see it was May’s challenge.

Challah on the Diagonal

May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.

I eat a lot less bread than I used to (it’s better for my waistline!) but participating in this challenge was not an option – it was a moral imperative.  And I tell you what, I don’t remember the last time I baked something that smelled this good.  I’ve baked a fair number of breads, but this one smelling-up my apartment takes the cake (so to speak).

What makes me extra happy – as usual – is that the simple challah recipe, the one that I used was just that – extremely simple.  Water, yeast, a couple of eggs, and a little patience for rising dough and BOOM.  Challah-magic.

Challah Closeup

I was really impressed with how well this recipe turned out.  The crust was slightly tough, the innards chewy, sweet, and of the perfect crumb.  And lucky me, I didn’t burn it either!

You can actually tell that my loaf ended up being a little skinny; in most pictures of challah I’ve seen the loaves are wider and fatter.  Of course, in addition to only making enough dough for 1 roll, I also only used the  “3-strand” braiding method instead of the slightly more complicated 5 or 6-strand method.  Even so, this bread turned out fabulously.  Have a couple hours?  Definitely make some challah!

NOM NOM NOM!

Challah Recipe

Check it out here!

Mary Gezo

Formerly of both n00bcakes and !Blog, the two magically become one on Spatialdrift; expect some lazy baking and serious nerditude. Also, I love semicolons.