Harvest Pumpkin Challah

KosherEye.com

pumpkin challah photo Rising
Harvest Pumpkin Challah 
with cinnamon maple butter spread
Recipe from "Rising, TheBook of Challah" (amazon)
by Rochie Pinson. Distributed by Feldheim 
Photos by Monica Pinto

Yield: 1 large wreath challah + a few smaller rolls or challahs

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups very warm water
3/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsps granulated yeast
2 cups + 5–61/2 cups all-purpose unbleached white flour (or white whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 15-oz can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)

Challah glaze:
1 egg, well beaten with 1 tsp water

Challah topping:
cinnamon-sugar mix
pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions

In a large bowl, pour the very warm water. Add the sugar and then the yeast.
Allow a few minutes for the yeast to bloom. 
Add the first part of the flour, the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and pumpkin spice mix, and mix until a smooth batter forms. 
Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, and pumpkin purée and stir again until smooth.
Gradually add the remaining flour, mixing with your hands or stand-mixer until the flour has fully incorporated into the dough. Be sure to add only as much flour as is needed to form a non-sticky workable dough. 
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it springs back when lightly touched.

Pour 3–4 teaspoons of oil into the bowl.
Turn the ball of dough around in the oil until the outer layer of the dough has been thinly coated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a warm, damp dishcloth and place in a warm spot to rise. 
Allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until dough has doubled in bulk. Punch out some air and allow to rise for an additional hour. 
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Braid or shape the dough as desired and place on lined baking sheets. If using the “half recipe” to create a wreath, use most of the dough for the wreath, saving a small amount for extra rolls or small challahs. Brush the challah with the egg glaze after braiding
Allow the challahs to rise for an additional 30 minutes.Glaze challahs again and sprinkle with toppings.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes (medium-sized challah; time will vary according to challah size). The challah is ready when its underside is brown and it sounds hollow when tapped.

Cinnamon-Maple Butter Spread
Yield: enough spread to fill a 12-ounce bowl

2 cups unsalted butter or margarine, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix with electric mixer until fluffy.

To achieve the look of the cinnamon butter in the photo
Fill the bowl 2/3 way full with the spread. 
Put the rest of the spread into a cake decorating bag fitted with the star tip.
Working from the center outwards, create stars, one at a time, working in a circular pattern until the entire surface of the bowl’s interior has been filled.
Keep the spread refrigerated until ready to use so that it doesn’t melt and lose its shape. 

Notes 
Throughout the book Rebbetzin Pinson shares information about when challah should be taken - with and without a blessing. She writes that due to the amount of flour used, this particular challah should be taken without a blessing.  Chabad is a good resource for the detailed halachas of separating challah or consult your rabbi.

 


 

 

No time to make Challah dough, no problem!

 

breadmaker

 

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Especially if one has not previously owned a bread machine. So many choices - one paddle or two? vertical loaves or horizontal loaves? A machine that makes a 1 lb. loaf or a 2 lb. loaf? Size of the actual machine? Ease of use? Settings? Decisions... decisions... decisions!

So let's talk! We have recently tested the newest model, of the Zojirushi (pronounced zo-jih-ROO-shee) bread maker, the Virtuoso BB-PAC 20. In fact, since we have grown so attached to it, let's use its nickname, the Zo. It has moved to a position front and center in our kitchen, right up there with our stand mixer, Vitamix, Coffee Maker, and food processor. Not only are we busily making whole wheat bread for weekday sandwiches, challah for Shabbos, and cinnamon rolls (yumm) much too often, but we have also made jam. strawberry jam to be exact. So simple! Making jam was so easy, that we plan to progress to blueberry and peach jam later this summer.

Yes, the Zo is an investment ($275), but if you have the counter or pantry space available, and if you love fresh bread and preserves, we think that it is well worth the price. If you use it often, studies have indicated that over time, homemade bread costs substantially less than store-bought bread, and is, of course, healthier, (We guess that depends on your ingredient choices.)

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The Virtuoso bakes a traditional, horizontal-shaped 1 ½ - 2-lb. loaf, has dual kneading blades, 13-hour delay timer, easy to read clock, and many varied menus settings-including basic bread, wheat bread, gluten-free bread, sourdough starter, dough, jam, cake, quick bread and 3 homemade settings for custom recipes. Trust me, we are not techies, but the accompanying recipe book offers easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for each setting. Additionally, the Virtuoso has an exclusive lid heater, which makes even baking and proper browning possible. The dual paddles ensure thorough mixing and kneading and result in a higher rise. The bread pan includes easy-lift handles, ensuring quick and safe loaf removal of the loaves. And there is a large window to watch what's happening.
And, we must share one of our favorite features..the 13-hour delay timer – which allows us to go to bed and wake up to fresh homemade bread in the morning. Sounds so good, doesn't it? Yes, it's truly amazing. We also especially like the dough cycle, which is perfect for mixing up a batch of cinnamon buns, challah, and rolls.
We find the 2 lb. size loaf convenient, some to slice, some to store and even some to freeze. For Shabbos challah, the Zo delivers fresh challah in a hurry on a Friday morning. One 90-minute cycle provides enough dough to make two 1 lb. loaves. We shape them, place them in loaf pans or on our Silpat mat, let them rise for 1 hour, and bake for 30 minutes. Done! By the way, for those readers who are gluten-free, the Zo even offers a setting for you. So, dear readers, if you are in the market for a breadmaker, do consider the ZO, and share your thoughts (and recipes) with us.

 

To purchase click here: Zojirushi Bread Maker (Amazon).

 

*This is not a sponsored post. All recommended products are Koshereye tested. We hope to only provide you with amazing Kosher products and recipes. Koshereye may make a small commission if you purchase a product through our Amazon links. 

 


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