This article originally appeared on The Nosher.
I love playing with color, texture and shape with my challah. Looking to create a red challah? Add beetroot powder. Green? Try using green tea matcha powder. Do you want bread with a golden hue? Try turmeric mixed in with the dough.
This challah combines beautiful color with Middle Eastern flavors — the flavors and colors of different parts of the world meet in one delicious bread.
Ingredients:
4-4 1/2 cups bread flour
3 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
2/3 cup warm water, 90-100 degrees
3 1/2 tablespoons honey
6 2/3 tablespoons tahini
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
1. Weigh 1 cup of flour and combine with yeast and warm water.
2. Let proof for 20-25 minutes until mixture begins to swell.
3. Whisk in honey, tahini, olive oil, eggs, turmeric, and the remaining flour plus salt.
4. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest about 20 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator for a cold overnight rise. The dough will only increase about one-third but will continue to develop and rise fully from its cold proof through remaining steps.
5. Remove from refrigerator the next day and allow about 30 minutes for the dough to begin to come back to room temperature before shaping.
6. Divide the dough into hunks, depending on your design plan. Let the dough rest, then roll out and braid. Allow the shaped dough to rise again for 1-1 1/2 hours at about 70 F.
7. Before you put the shaped dough in the oven, glaze it with egg wash and apply seeds. Bake at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes.
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