Melissa’s Olive Oil Challah Bread

What an absolutely rich, delicious bread, straight from Melissa Clark of the New York Times.

I cut back on the eggs so I could save two egg whites for the next day's breakfast, and this turned out fantastically. I also cut back on Melissa's call for sugar as I find most bread a bit too sweet for our taste.

If you bake in a loaf pan as I did, make sure you cook it long enough to cook through the center of such a large loaf. Use a thermometer to check that the center achieves 190-200F.

1/2 cup fresh orange juice - I used 1 large navel orange

2 tsp active dry yeast

1/3 cup olive oil

2 large eggs

2 yokes from large eggs

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

3-1/2 cups bread flour (you can use all purpose too)

Egg wash:

1 egg whisked into 1 Tbsp water
Black toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Add orange juice to bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle the yeast over the juice. Let sit for about 5 minutes until frothy.

Add the oil, eggs, sugar and salt and beat with a dough hook. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a coherent, yet sticky mass. You may not need all the flour to achieve the sticky dough. (This was my biggest challenge because I am not used to such a sticky dough.)

Transfer dough to a clean, floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball. Add a dash of olive oil into the bowl and roll the dough ball around in it to cover all of its surface with oil.

Cover with a clean dish towel and place in a warm spot. Allow to rise to double in size - about 2-3 hours - mine took 3.

Press the dough down gently with your fingers, recover and replace in warm spot.

Allow to rise again about another hour or so.

Now gently form the dough into two logs about 8-10 inches long. Braid the logs together and bunch into the length of a large bread loaf pan.

Place braid into an oiled loaf pan and brush with half the egg wash. Allow to rise in the warm spot uncovered for another hour or so.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375F. Brush the dough again with the remaining egg wash. I garnished with a few black sesame seeds. Bake about 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread is about 190-200F. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf.

Cook’s Note: You can braid the bread and bake on a sheet pan as Melissa Clark does - but I like sandwich bread shape and size. However, you have to be careful that you bake the loaf enough to cook in the center. The braided form will cook faster as it is smaller.

Melissa warns not to use store bought orange juice as it may inhibit the yeast growth - always use fresh.

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