This piece presents a recipe by Noam Zigdon for challah made with white spelt flour. It calls for 1 kilogram of white spelt flour, 2 tablespoons of dry yeast, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 and 1/4 cups of warm water, half a cup of oil, and 1 tablespoon of fine salt. For the topping, the recipe uses 1 beaten egg mixed with a little silan, and the loaves can be finished with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or black cumin.
To make the dough, the flour, yeast, and sugar are mixed in a stand mixer. Water and oil are added gradually on low speed, then the salt is added once a dough forms. The dough is kneaded for 6 to 7 minutes only, until it becomes soft, elastic, and slightly sticky, but pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
The dough is placed in an oiled bowl, coated lightly with oil on top, covered with a towel, and left to rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until it nearly doubles in size. It is then divided into equal balls, shaped into rectangles and tight rolls, turned into strands, and braided into challah. The loaves go onto a baking tray lined with parchment and rise again for 25 to 35 minutes, until they look airy and light.
Before baking, the challahs are brushed with the egg and silan mixture and sprinkled with the chosen seeds. They are baked in a preheated 180-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
