Sourdough Challah

This made an amazing Challah but be forewarned it takes a while to make this.  You can also fill this with the Salted Carmel Apple Filling (see Recipe tab for the recipe) and then slice and make French toast (my mouth is watering just thinking about it...may have to make this again in the near future).  Here's the recipe, enjoy:

For the starter:
2 tbl 100% hydrated firm sourdough starter
1/3 cup warm water
approximately 1 cup bread flour

For final dough:
1/4 cup warm water
3 large eggs + 1 for glazing
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbl mild honey or scant 1/3 cup sugar
Approximately 3 cups bread flour
Fully fermented starter (see above)

The evening before baking - mix the starter:
Knead starter into water until partially dissolved, stir in flour.  Knead firm dough until smooth.  Remove 1 cup of starter to use in final dough and place in sealed container.  Let starter ferment until tripled in volume and starting to deflate, about 8 - 12 hours.

Baking day - mixing the dough:
In a large bowl, beat together the water, 3 eggs, salt, oil and honey (measure oil first, then use the same cup for the honey) or sugar until the salt has dissolved and the mixture is fairly well combined.  With your hands or a wooden spoon, mix in the bread flour all at once.  When the mixture is a shaggy ball, scrape it out onto your work surface, add the starter, and knead the dough until smooth, no more than 10 minutes.  (Soak your mixing bowl in hot water now to clean and warm it for fermenting the dough.)  This dough is very firm and should feel almost like modeling clay.  If the dough is to firm to knead easily, add a tablespoon or two of water to it; if it seems to wet, add a few tablespoons of flour.
The dough should feel smooth and very firm but be easy to knead.

Fermenting the dough
Place the dough in the warm cleaned bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough ferment for about 2 hours.  It will probably not rise much, if at all.

Shaping and proofing the dough
Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper or oil them.  Divide the dough into two 1 pound portions for loaves or one 1 1/2 pound portion for a large loaf and three small pieces for rolls.  (I made one large portion and then cut it into equal parts for braiding).  This is also where you would fill the dough sections if you were using the Salted Carmel Apple filling. Braid or shape them as desired.  Check out this website for braiding instructions: http://www.finecooking.com/videos/braiding-challah.aspx
Position on prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Let proof until tripled in size, about 5 hours.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it before I let it rise.

Meanwhile, 30 min before baking, arrange oven racks in the lower and upper 1/3 position if using two baking sheets or arrange one rack in the upper 1/3 position if using one sheet and remove any racks above them.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  If desired, preheat one or two baking sheets to double with the baking sheet the loaf(ves) are on.  Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt for glazing the bread (I forgot to do this step, oops.)

Baking the bread
When the loaf(ves) has tripled in size and does not push back when gently pressed with your finger but remains indented, brush with egg wash.  Bake rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, the 1 pound loaf for 25-35 minutes or the 1 1/2 pound loaf for 35-45 minutes, until very well browned.  After the first 20 minutes of baking, switch the loaves from front to back so they brown evenly; if the large loaf is browning to quickly, tent it with foil.  When the bread is done, remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sourdough Doughnuts

The girls have been playing a game called Doughnut Maker so they have been asking me to make actual doughnuts with them, I gave in today and the results were pretty good.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg (I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon and about 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg)
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar (white)
1/3 cup buttermilk (regular milk would work too, I actually reconstituted powdered buttermilk)
1 Tbl oil (+ oil to fry)
1/2 cup sourdough starter (100% hydrated or freshly fed)

Heat oil to approximately 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a tray with paper towels to drain the doughnuts on.

Re-sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt and spice.

Beat egg then beat the sugar into the egg.  Next combine the egg mixture with the starter, milk and oil.  Add sifted ingredients to this mixture and mix with wooden spoon (or use your hands) to make a moderately stiff dough.

On a floured surface (I used a floured pastry cloth which worked very well) knead gently about 3 to 5 times (just enough to smooth out the dough and round it up).  Roll out dough (I used a rolling pin cover so that the dough didn't stick to my rolling pin) to 3/8 inch thickness.  Cut with doughnut cutter (you can also use two different size biscuit cutters or a can and a soda cap).

Fry to golden brown.  Drain on tray prepared above with paper towels.

You can then roll them in cinnamon and sugar mixture or glaze them.  I used Alton Brown's glaze recipe for some of them and rolled the others in cinnamon and sugar.  Here's a link to Alton Brown's glaze:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/doughnut-glaze-recipe/index.html