Apple-Honey Challah

Apple-Honey Challah

slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Living, September 2009
makes 1 9-inch round loaf

4 tbl unsalted butter, melted plus a bit more for bowl & pan
3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for surface
3/4 cup warm water
2/3 cup raw honey plus 2 tbls
2 large farm fresh eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
2 tea active dry yeast
2 tea coarse salt
1 1/2 tart green apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1 3/4 cups)

1. Melt 4 tbls butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tbl melted butter, the flour, water, 2/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.


2. Transfer dough to a buttered bowl, and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.


3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2 by 14 inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tbl melted butter (keep saucepan out for last step); cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.


4. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. Cover dough with plastic wrap. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.

5. Preheat oven to 375, with rack in lowest position. Heat remaining 2 tbls of honey in pan you used to melt the butter over low heat. Brush dough with half the honey. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.


6. Once out of the oven, brush challah with the remaining honey. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.

Also makes for excellent French toast the next day!

Enjoy!