Claire Saffitz Makes Perfect Challah and Babka | Try This at Home | NYT Cooking
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- Опубліковано 15 тра 2024
- Claire Saffitz is back for another round of “Try This at Home,” a series where she guides you through different baking projects and techniques. Today’s lesson is on making classic challah bread. No stand mixer? No problem. This recipe is surprisingly simple and perfect for beginners who are just starting their breadmaking journey: The whole thing is done by hand. Claire also demonstrates different ways to shape the bread, as well as another application for the dough: cinnamon babka.
Get the recipes:
Challah Bread | nyti.ms/3d32Q77
Cinnamon Babka | nyti.ms/3xieAtg
0:00 - 0:56: Intro
0:56 - 1:56: What is challah?
1:56 - 3:44: Preferment
3:44 - 8:39: Mix the dough
8:39 - 9:45: The windowpane test
9:45 - 12:24: Adding raisins
12:24 - 12:54: Six-strand braided challah
16:42 - 20:10: How to braid the challah
20:10 - 21:49: Finishing the six-strand challah
21:49 - 24:14: Raisin-studded round challah
24:14 - 26:37: Bake!
26:37 - 34:30: Cinnamon babka
34:30 - END: Eat!
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All the food that’s fit to eat (yes, it’s an official New York Times production). - Навчання та стиль
Claire Saffitz is just a delight! She has her own UA-cam Channel. Highly recommend
-Come over an see Johnny Depp pursuing Amber Heard with a blade as she begs him to stop, a recording played at trial that I transcribed and loudened
@@theamberheardplaylist6768 ???
@@witchystuff What is confusing?
@@witchystuff I don’t know what she’s talking about. 💀 So weird.
@@theamberheardplaylist6768 What the hell has that got to do with bread?
Claire is a teacher and Chef. The fact that she explains every steps makes the learning process enjoyable and easily comprehensible.
Ha all the bread is burnet she says the bread smell's yeasty as an educated Baker i will tell you she is full of sh*t. If bread smell's of yeast it means it's not baked. And not to mention it's burnt it's almost coal.
The Return of the Queen
Period ❤❤❤
Indeed!
no one had ever managed to explain to me the 6 strand braid technique, i'm now pretty sure i could do it without the video because she explained it so clearly
Yes! Every other video is like, 'first you line up the ropes. then braid [slap slap slap slap left right left right]. done!' I think I have a much better shot tomorrow.
Yup!
It's easy, just put the thing over the thing then the other side's thing over the same thing and then put another thing over the two previous things and put the thing next to the things, repeat, and done
10/10 NYTCooking for bringing Claire back for another series! (well, another round of the same series - but either way I'm here for it!)
Damn! she's really packed on the pounds over the years.
For the Preferment
-1 teaspoon active dry yeast
-¼ cup warm water
-½ cup room temp water
-1¼ cups/169 grams bread flour
For the Dough
-½ cup/72 grams golden raisins (optional)
-⅓ cup/113 grams honey
-⅓ cup/75 grams extra-virgin olive oil
-1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
-2 large eggs, at room temperature, plus 1 beaten egg, for egg wash
-3 cups/405 grams bread flour, plus more for kneading the dough
-11 grams kosher salt (about 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1½ teaspoons Morton coarse kosher salt)
-Poppy or sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)
Bake at 350F/180C for 35 minutes
Update: I just made her recipe. Reduce the amount of olive oil because it overpowered the other flavours in the bread. Overall this recipe turned out perfect.
Thank you, you are a good person
WTF do you guys always jap about KOSHER salt?? IT'S SALT!!!!!! PLAIN SIMPLE SALT. Or is there a process that makes it kosher??
@@katharina1439 no need for rudeness or offensive expletives. Kosher salt is distinct from other forms in that it is produced to draw blood out of meat as part of the process of making it fit for those who adhere to kosher laws. It is also free of additives like iodine. To adhere to meat, the crystals are flattened during the production process. So although it is the same chemically, it is produced primarily for the kosher consumer, as the packaging indicates. It is also coarser than table salt. Chefs use it because it is uniform and therefore easy to measure consistently in different recipes. A tablespoon of table salt added to a recipe in place of the coarser kosher salt will yield a saltier outcome. Please respect that not everyone is "you."
Indeed, the density of different salts is different because of differences in crystal packing. So if you don’t have a scale (measuring by volume) you need to know the salt type (e.g. Kosher). In addition, challah has a significant religious and cultural significance, so Kosher is kosher.
Gracias!!!!!
I just love how clearly and thoroughly Claire explains techniques, but also the WHY of what she's doing. It helps so much to know why we do certain things in baking, and so many recipes/tutporials don't bother explaining. Thank you, Claire!! It's such a pleasure to watch you, and I'm excited to try making some of these Challahs!
Love that Claire is back to bring more technical videos! This series fully showcases her talents and mastery in a no-frills way
And u know this environment is her jam ❤
One of the most charismatic on-air chefs, Claire Saffitz demonstrates total mastery of her subject achieved by her highly analytical mind. She presents with charm, vulnerability, humility, honesty, humor, a hesitant self-confidence, and a pinch of nerdiness. She is am exceptional talent who will undoubtedly influence American cuisine significantly in the next few decades.
total mastery.... incorrectly forms the babka lol.
Thank you for bringing Claire back!
I swooned a little when Claire said "keep it pareve".
Not only is she using the lingo unapologetically (and without explanation, tho that's not great for people who don't know the meaning), but she's also in a way being considerate of the kosher keepers in the audience. Challah is practically required to be pareve - meaning not dairy or meat - and so keeping the babka pareve means that it can be eaten as part of a meat meal as well instead of having to adapt and find ways to make a dairy recipe work.
It feels right to have a traditional kosher challah.
@@susanblake7687 yeah, but it's amazing how often things are "kosher style" or just straight up appropriating it (like making a BLT on challah or whatever). This was just a little nod that was awesome.
I am delighted to see this thread. About 50 years ago I contacted James Beard -- who I thought was a terrific teacher and a defender of American cuisine -- for using butter in his recipe for Challah and explaining why Challah was always made with oil. I got back a letter from an assistant saying that none of his students or even the Jews that he knew kept kosher and so he thought it would not matter and he preferred the taste of butter. In a follow up phone call I tried to explain to this young woman that, although Jewish, I too didn't keep kosher but I did feel that if he was calling a bread CHALLAH the very meaning of the word underlies its ceremonial use, he ought to show respect for that tradition. I had no trouble with him using the basic recipe and techniques but calling it a braided bread if he wanted to use butter. The response was dismissive. Clearly, I was too early to have thought to use the word appropriation! I still feel that way for Challah.
Dairy challah is Kosher also, it just can't be used with meat meals.
@@shainazion4073 That's true, but since the general tradition is that the Shabbat meal it is supposed to be the best meal of the week -- which meant to include meat in the days when vegetarianism was generally not by choice but rather because of poverty. Nowadays, of course it is very different and many Jews are vegetarian by choice and conviction. So if we are speaking of tradition, then Challah was parve. It you want to talk about halacha then it is a different conversation.
I'm all for no stand mixer bread recipes! These look great
The absolute best directions/description of the 6-strand braiding process that I have ever heard!
so happy to see claire go without a stand mixer here... always feels like a bar to entry for me (never had a stand mixer... dont see one in my near future) with enriched bread doughs. awesome!!!
Always learning so much when watching Claire videos, love all the helpful descriptions of how the dough should feel, look and behave at which stage!
This has to be one of the best videos for doing a six strand challah bread. Thanks for the posting...
Claire has a very peaceful and calming energy. When I am baking I try to channel a similar energy.
My friend and I tried your six-stranded challah. It was a first attempt at challah for each of us. Super dense, pulled apart beautifully and delicious!! We’re fans now! Keep gifting us with recipes for 2023!
Absolutely gorgeous bread! Claire is so good at articulating every small step in the process. I’m definitely going to do the 6 strand braid and the babka!
Thank you Claire for the wonderful video! My very first challah is rising and I’m getting ready to braid it! I’m so excited to try to make it as beautiful as yours.
Claire is a queen!!! 👑Shana tova to all celebrating! 🍎🍯
When I was first married, I lived in St L in Brentwood, worked in Clayton, and had access to Ladue and U City, and all the fantastic bakeries. I seriously wallowed in kosher bakeries I'd never had access to before. But I truly hate St L, so we moved to Florida. After 30 years I have not found any bakery that matched what was freely available in St L. So now maybe I'll try for myself. Thank you!
I just made the 6 braid challah and the cinnamon babka! It’s SO GOOD AND FLUFFY thank you for starting me on my bread journey 💕💕
I love when Claire says ‘don’t be alarmed’. Great and insightful video imma try to make this but w/o the raisins. Thank you Claire.
Finally! I have been awaiting this recipe and there is nothing better to kick off fall than a good baking project. I'll make the challah this weekend and add honeyed apples and cinnamon to the batter!
Thank you so much for this! ❤ you explained the braid technique so well. I’m sure my next challah will be much better
Claire really is incredibly instructive and knowledgeable. Gave me such immense pleasure to watch this, and to to hear everything explained so thoroughly. More of this!
EVrything about the video is so beautiful! The Chef, The kitchen, the final product! ❤ Thank you!
So good! I was able to get the braided bread right on the first try. Such a great recipe, the whole family loved the fresh bread. Thanks!
Claire and her videos are the best thing since sliced (challah)bread!
I've made my own Challah for several years, but have never tried a preferment and such a small amount of yeast. Very interesting ideas, I'll give them a try. Claire obviously loves what she's doing, it shows, and I appreciate the thought and care that goes into her recipes. Only thing not to like was the ad frequency, pretty much every five minutes.
You can install an ad-blocker specifically for UA-cam. I have not seen an ad in years. They do not work if you are using the UA-cam app.
@@London1869 I used an adblocker for a couple of years too, but once UA-cam premium was offered I subscribed. Now I don't have to feel guilty about skipping ads because you don't see them with premium. At the same time I'm still contributing to content creators I like--they each get a small percentage of my subscription fee). Premium has other benefits too. I can watch or listen to videos and do stuff online at the same time by using "always on top" feature. I listen to music without getting ads and I also get UA-cam premium content. If you watch yt a lot then it's definitely worth it.
I made this recipe for the first time yesterday, and the whole time I kept thinking "wow this is not a lot of yeast for this much bread". Well, the proofing times (all 3: preferment, 1st rise, 2nd rise) took the full 2 hours to reach the specified indicators/size. My house is 72 degrees (F) and I even put it in the oven with the light on to give it a warmer environment. Would adding more yeast hurt the recipe? Or would it just mean faster/more dramatic rises?
@@mygirldarby - UA-cam premium is awesome. We got it when we subbed for UA-cam music (we liked the collection of music over other companies) and now we can’t get live without it being ad-free.
So worth it to have an ad-free home. Pulled the plug on cable over a decade ago and UA-cam being ad-free just makes it the final push to be totally free from corporate propaganda. It’s mind blowing how much clearer our minds became when we unplugged from the machine.
@@jonathanbourne108 You can definitely add more yeast if you want to make it quicker, as with all bread. But as with all bread, longer proofing times lead to better tasting bread.
That being said tho there is absolutely no shame in speeding up the process a touch if you want. I think I'd personally stick to the small amount of yeast and choose to instead divide the process into two days like she said, doing the second proofing in the fridge overnight.
Loved your patience about rising tips and the braids!
I tried this yesterday and it TOTALLY WORKED!
Thank you Mrs. Saffitz!
Love it! I need to try Challah again! Missed not seeing the raisin loaf cut into 😢
This challah was absolutely delicious! Time intensive but worth it. Claire's instructions and video are invaluable tools.
I have challah and babka up to my eyebrows! Not a bad situation though. Claire, thanks so much for this recipe. My neighbors are very happy, and so is my family. Perfect gifts. So delicious. I could not believe how gorgeous my very first challah bread and babkas turned out. I've made this recipe 4 times now! Boy oh boy is this stuff GOOD! Happy Holidays to you and yours.
I've been making my own challah for shabbat every week for the past two years (started Rosh Hashanah in 2020) and started doing a six braid a few months ago. The only video I found at the time that was sort of helpful was still so confusing! The top down angle has the image flipped so that the pinched area is on the bottom of the screen which doesn't make it easy to follow along. They also keep cutting away, often right when the most important part is happening, and they don't even show how to close up the end!
I'm so glad Claire (and NYT) made this video! Challah is amazing.
I'll need to put this up against my own recipe. Maybe I'll make one and one and not tell my wife and we'll see which she prefers blind tasting them.
You nailed it! Wow! The most clear understanding braiding tutorial.! ❤
You added a really great visual of the two-three strand config in the middle. The oral cue of how to manage the the two side strands is spot on for clarity. I only make challah once a week or every two weeks, and I always lose the plan in my head! So! I made a six-strand, 10" long, config of white, slightly thicker, kitchen twine and connected them at the top. I keep it in a kitchen drawer. I pull it out before I make challah and practice until I get the rhythm. I love your tip of lightly coating each strand of dough with a little flour for the reasons you said. This is the BEST oral and visual demo I've seen! Thanks!
So glad I stubbled upon Claire again. Love her teaching style.
Ohhhh, it's pre-ferment. I was reading the word in the recipe as preferment, i.e. "promotion or appointment to a position or office." I only knew that from a childhood of Gilbert and Sullivan.
The Gondoliers: "We're ready as witness, To any one's fitness, To fill any place or preferment -
We're often in waiting, At junket or fêting, And sometimes attend an interment, We enjoy an interment."
I wondered what any of that had to do with bread.
That being said, the recipe looks wonderful and I'm definitely going to try it. My grandmother's "recipe" for challah produces a cakey challah (or challee, as we called it) which is great and very nostalgic. I also wanted a recipe for the kind of challah that has that pull-apart quality. Thank you, fellow-picker, Claire!
This is one of the best recipes I have seen for babka and challah, thank you so much
These look gorgeous, and that babka is amazing! Will definitely be making these soon.
There's something about Claire that makes you want to throw everything and just try her recipes for yourself, she makes everything seem so easy to do. Definitely on my to-bake list, thank you so much!
Just made the round challah and it came out beautifully. It took most of the day but it was a learning experience, so glad that I could keep hitting the back button on my computer. Claire you are an excellent teacher. Thank you!
So glad this is back! great series
Awesome, Claire! Thanks for explaining it so clearly!
Thank you for explaining the braiding, it is very easy to understand!
I have always loved cooking and baking but since I started watching Claire I have a much better idea of what I’m doing. I am so grateful to Claire for seriously upping my kitchen game.
Claire, you are amazing and extremely clear in communication. Can’t wait to try your recipe. I do like the olive oil in lieu of butter. 👏👏🙏🙏💕
I really love Claire and the way she explains things!
The 6 strand is absolutely lovely, I personally like doing just a 4 strand when I bake several loafs because it’s much quicker and yields a lovely braid as well ❤
You are THE BEST! First time baker and it was delicious. Thank you.
I loved Claire on Bon Appetit. I was so happy to see her again here. Such a great teacher and so down to earth. I love it when she says "...oh, don't look at that..." 😆
Wow. This was highly informative! I'm not a great baker, so this actually helped to give me courage to try and bake more.
I enjoy your videos and the way you explain.
I've watched a lot of videos on braiding a bread. I understood today watching yours!
That Babka looks amazing!!!! 🤩🤩🤩
Thank you, Claire! I can’t wait to try this Challah. My Dad was the Challah King in our family. I’ve missed it since he passed.
My Jewish wife of 6 years came home after work for Shabbat and CRIED when I surprised her with this. It was *chefs kiss!*
This was so easy and such a joy to make. The most I had ever baked was boxed muffin mix - Claire's got the skills here!
FYI for newbies; you can ferment the yeast and raise the dough in a warm oven if you live somewhere cold like me or if you didn't time it right.
how sweet :')
Love Challah bread. It's where I started when learning how to make bread.
Super easy, gives you practice doing things like braiding dough, and you can stuff it with whatever (I like nutella)
Always a joy to watch.
❤🇬🇧
Made this tonight. It was awesome. Best bread yet!
Yay it's Claire love seeing her videos!!!
I love baking my own challah but have never been totally happy with my recipe. Excited to try your preferment!
Great 6 braid explanation. I can now do it well.
Thank you!!
My Challah recipe happens to be amazing, but I've never tried to plump my raisins before for Rosh Hashannah, will try that. Thanks for the idea!!! Also thank you for simplifying the 6 strand braid, I can only do a 4 strand but will conquer the 6 strand with your amazing technique.
Plumping the raisins prevents it from getting too dry in the course of baking. I believe you can do the 6 strands... Update us
@mariavictorialucasanm plumping the raisins is a great technique I use now in both my challah and my oatmeal raisin cookies. I did the 6 strand and it was easy peasy with Claire's directions
I love Claire and her mastery!
Came out perfectly! Great crumb texture. I did have to add about a half cup of flour more to get the dough not stick to hands and bowl of mixer. Good thing there’s a video for the 6 strand braiding technique. Thanks
I honestly was not having the best day. But when I saw there was a new NYT cooking episode and Claire was hosting it, it just made this terrible day bearable!
I hope today is better :)
Claire always brings out the biggest wish in me to continue my baker journey.
I’ve never seen this version of a round challah. Will have to try it.
OTD i found out that Claire has her own channel. I just want to hug her... She is my literal spirit animal
I will have to try this - both the Challah and the Babka.
Tried this recipe for Rosh Hashanah (and the following month of holidays!) this year, mostly because I liked the way the twisted round loaf looked. My husband can’t stop raving about it. Maybe it’s the bread flour, maybe it’s the larger amount of honey than my other recipe? I’m sticking with it!
Why is it that I read prefer-ment instead pre-ferment every time and wonder if it’s a fancy French term 😆
Another master class from Claire 👏
I'm not even a baker but this makes me want to make all of them for the holidays
Shalom thank you for your background and this video to teach us what is so good and right
They are in the oven proofing 😍 thank you for the great recipe 🙏🫶
Amazing, I have learn so much from this! Thank you!
Another terrific Clair video! Yay!
Happy you guys figured out the audio in the kitchen! The echo is 90% gone.
My ears thank you.
Incredible teacher, amazing results!
Thanks! You inspired me to preferment dough before work today. I decided to eat healthy and make pizza dough for a veggie calzone.
Thank you, I've always wanted to make cinnamon babka :)
so much dough!!! can't wait for the next book
Dear Claire! I got the explanation of braiding, it was very clear!
Perfect! Thanks!
A great episode...I always wanted to know how that classic braid was achieved. My office commute took me through the Fairfax district of Los Angeles every day for decades, past busy Jewish bakeries that looked so tempting, but never seemed to be open when I was free to shop. I finally figured out that if I started earlier, I could get in on weekday mornings. There was also a neighborhood deli/grocery; near my Beverly Hills office that carried Diamond challah near Rosh Hashana. Why is there no such thing as a great Catholic bakery? Maybe Italian neighborhoods? Anyway, L'Shana Tovah and thanks for all your hard and intelligent work.
I'm not Jewish, I've never had challah bread (I definitely mispronounced it), but it's pretty, and I wanted to make it for a gathering. I learned that the kneeding is not great done by the kitchen aid. I was so frustrated with it, I turned it out on the counter and finished it on the counter and I had this gut moment of "this dough was never meant to be done in an "easy" way. It's a hands-on and involved and loving bread. It feels like a hearts preparation for celebration. Probably why her store bought experience tasted wrong.
Looks so yummy! Happy to see a video for my favorite foods
Looks amazing! I really wanted to see the raisin style cut.
Thanks, Can’t wait to make each of them❣️
Loved this. Claire's great.
Yesss, there's no such thing as too much Claire - we need more, more I tell ya! :)
A great recipe! Good job! Thank you!
I just LOVE Claire Saffitz too... totally obsessed with her style and recipes. Claire, if you're listening or take requests, I know you're not a New Yorker, but could you do Black & white cookies next or sometime soon?? 😁😁
This was the first loaf of bread I've ever made!! Enjoyed this processes and so thrilled with the outcome! Thank you Claire
was ist super sweet? because she used a lot of honey I'm a bit concerned
EXCELLENT braiding tutorial!!
You are a very good presenter. Not a bit intimidating and not pretentious like some of the cooks on line. I also like the fact you don’t go overboard with gadgets and only use things like the big mixer when necessary. Love this channel.
Loved Claire as always. Was going to make this but NYT Cooking requires a subscription for this recipe. It’s a try at home episode, wouldn’t hurt to make the recipe available.
):
The nytcooking article doesn’t mention recipe per se in terms of ingredients and quantities
Shhh...
SPONGE
1 t active dry yeast
1¼ c (169g) bread flour
DOUGH
½ c (72g) golden raisins
⅓ c (113g) honey
⅓ c (75g) extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temp
1 beaten egg, for egg wash
3 c (405g) bread flour + flour for kneading
1-1.5 T (11g) kosher salt
@@KKoumatos Looks like 1/4c of water also for the sponge, yes?
My My that bread looks delicious I love the ingredients and presentation also the explanation I have never baked it before I am exiting to prepare one You are creative excellent ideas for special occasions job well done thanks 🙏 for sharing my friend I am watching from Amelia's Ward linden town Guyana south America