Ina's Challah! (& Challahsana Yoga )

Here is a recipe for Ina Garden's Challah bread. I didn't stray from this recipe whatsoever. So this is the same dough she makes for her beloved, Jeffery. I low key want to meet Jeffery so he can spill all the cool, underground stories about Ina and their early love story. Anyways, while spending the hours making Challah, I realized Challah-sana sounds like a yoga move. So naturally my sister & I spend an hour doing yoga poses with Challah in hand (see below).

ingredients:

1 cup warm water

2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs, room temp.

1 egg yolk, room temp.

5 1/2 - 6 cups flour

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 stick unsalted butter, diced, room temp

Vegetable oil

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

directions:

• In a bowl, mix warm water, yeast and sugar together. Let sit for 5 minutes.

• Fit your electric mixer with the dough hook attachment.

• After the yeast bloomed and is frothy (the yeast is active), add to the mixer bowl.

• Add the eggs and yolk to the mixer. Keep the mixer on low.

• Slowly add 4 1/2 cups of flour to the mixer, maintaining the steady, slow speed of the mixer. Scrap down the flour from the edge if needed.

• Add the salt, and room temperature butter, again slowly.

• Once incorporated, add another cup/ cup and a half of flour, mixing on low for 5 minutes.

• The dough will be soft and a little sticky.

• Prep a bowl with vegetable spray.

• Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Create a ball and place seam side down into the oiled bowl.

• Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 2 hours (until doubled in size). (Make sure you find a warmer spot in your house, otherwise it will just take longer to proof. My house tends to be cold so I actually put it in the microwave and just don't turn the microwave on.)

• Once risen, turn the dough onto a floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into logs - about 17 inches in length. Now instead of me trying to explain how to fold this challah, just watch this video. I had to watch it like 5 times and then my sister ended up folding it for me.

• Once braided, let proof again for 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, and brush your egg wash on the whole challah dough.

• Bake for 45 minutes, until the challah sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

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