Recipe from Aish.com
On Shavuot, we decorate our home with flowers to remind us of the mountain upon which God presented us with the Torah. In keeping with this theme, we are presenting a Flower shaped challah recipe.
Basic Water Challah Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbs honey
- 1 Tbs active dry or 2 ounces fresh yeast
- 1/2 cup oil (we use canola, but vegetable is fine)
- 6 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk for a wash
- Sesame or poppy seeds or cinnamon sugar for topping (optional)
Directions:
Mix ½ cup water with 1 tsp honey and the yeast. Allow to activate until bubbles form, approximately 10 minutes. Set aside. In a mixing bowl add salt, 1½ Tbs honey, flour; oil and 1½ cups water add the fermented yeast. Knead until a smooth and semi firm dough forms. Let dough rise for 1 hour, punch it down and then let rise another half hour.
You can also use your own favorite challah recipe.
The dough is now ready to be used for the flower.
Take a ball of dough and roll it out into a circle.
Place rolled out dough onto parchment paper allowing room to grow.
Then cut 5 slits into the circumference of the disc of dough to make 5 petals.
To create 2nd layer of petals, cut 1″ strips of dough, roll out and place one piece over each petal. To finish off the flower place a few small balls of dough on top making an indentation into the middle of the dough so all layers stay in place.
Let rise for another 30 minutes.
Smear egg wash over the flower-shaped challah. Sprinkle with your favorite seeds.
Bake at 375 until golden brown.
½ hour.
Chag Sameach!
