Rrs Chocolate Chip Challah Bread Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 3 cups of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk the warm water, melted butter, eggs, and egg yolk. With the mixer on low, slowly add the water mixture and mix until a rough dough starts to form. Increase the speed to medium-low and let the machine knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic for about 8 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. If the dough is too sticky, add up to 1/2 cup flour a little at a time.
• Lightly grease a large bowl, form the dough into a smooth ball, and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours (it took a little over 2 hours in my cold kitchen). To check if your dough has risen enough, press a finger into the dough. If it springs back, let it rise a little bit longer. If it stays indented, move onto the next step.
• When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured countertop and cut it in half. Roll the first half out into a rectangle and sprinkle the chocolate chips over it. Roll the dough into a tight rope. Very carefully stretch the rope of dough as far as you think you can from each end, and cut this long rope in half. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
• Place two ropes of dough in each direction, perpendicular to each other, like a pound symbol #. Weave them so that one rope is over and the other is under where they meet. Take the four legs that come from underneath the center and cross them over the rope to its right. Take the ropes that are now on the bottom and, again, cross each over the top rope, this time to the left. If you have extra length in your ropes, you can repeat these left-right jumps until you run out of rope. Tuck the ends of the ropes under the dough with the sides of your hands to form a round shape.*
• Once you've formed your challah, place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Beat the egg white and brush it over the dough. Let the challah rise another hour.
• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until deeply brown. If your challah is getting too dark too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time. The challah is done when a thermometer inserted into the center of the dough reads 195°F, or if you don't have an instant thermometer, lift the challah gently with an oven mitt and knock gently on the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it's done.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• In a stand mixer, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water. Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. With dough hook gradually add flour and slowly increase the speed to medium. Add the chocolate chips and continue to run the mixer for 5 more minutes. Put dough aside. Clean out the bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour. Now it is time to shape them. They make excellent rolls, but also a beautiful braid. If making a braid, divide the dough into 3 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball into a strand around 16 inches long. Lay the strands side by side on a sheet of parchment paper and pinch them together at one end. Braid the 3 strands: Cross the right strand over the middle strand. Then cross the left strand over the middle strand. Repeat, crossing the right strand over the middle strand, then left over the middle, until all of the dough is braided. Pinch the dough together at the end. Slide the loaf on the parchment onto a baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash all over the loaf. Allow the bread to rise for one hour. Preheat oven 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and 1 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside while you measure out the other dry ingredients, or until frothy.
• Whisk 3 1/2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 egg, the vegetable oil and 1 cup warm water; stir until combined. Gradually stir in the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour until the dough starts to come together. Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball into a 1 1/2-to-2-inch-wide strand, about 16 inches long. Lay the strands side by side on a sheet of parchment paper and pinch them together at one end.
• Braid the 3 strands: Cross the right strand over the middle strand. Then cross the left strand over the middle strand. Repeat, crossing the right strand over the middle strand, then the left over the middle, until all of the dough is braided. Pinch the dough together at the end.
• Slide the loaf (with the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash all over the loaf. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar in the water. Whisk until completely combined.
• Add vegetable oil and whisk. Then add 4 of the eggs, whisking for about one minute after each egg is added. Whisk in remaining sugar and salt. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing with a sturdy spoon after each cup.
• When all of the flour has been added, turn dough onto floured surface and knead the dough to remove all lumps. Clean out bowl and grease it. Form dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Let dough rise for one hour in a warm. The dough should approximately double in size. Punch it down and then put chocolate chips in center of dough and reform dough into a ball so that the chocolate chips are encased in the center of the dough. Allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
• Remove dough from warm spot and place dough ball onto floured surface. Using a long serated knife, cut the dough in half and then cut each halve into thirds. Reform all six dough balls so that the chocolate is encased in the center of each ball. Then, using your hands, roll out each ball into a strand approximately 15 inches in length. Take three strands and pinch them together at one end, tucking the pinched ends under the bread. Braid the three strands together. When you get to the end of the strands, pinch the strands together and tuck under loaf. Repeat for remaining three strands to create a second loaf.
• Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Gently transfer the challahs to the baking sheet. Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl and brush generously onto each challah. Return loafs to warm spot to rise for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375. Brush challahs with second round of egg wash. Be sure to get egg wash into all the cracks and crevices. Place loaves into oven on middle rack. Fill a baking dish or roasting pan with about two inches of water. Place dish on the rack below the challahs. Bake the challahs for thirty minutes, rotating the baking sheet once in the middle of baking time. Challahs should have a medium golden brown crust and sound hollow when tapped. Be sure to check challahs near end of baking time in order to avoid over cooking. Continue cooking past 30 minutes if challahs aren't golden brown yet.
• Cool challahs completely on wire baking rack.