Apple Challah

Recipe Ingredients

1 cup	237ml	Warm water
1 cup	198g / 7oz	Sugar - plus
1 teaspoon	5ml	Sugar
2		Dry yeast - (1/4 oz ea)
3		Eggs - room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons	7.5ml	Vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons	12ml	Salt
1 1/4 teaspoons	6.3ml	Cinnamon
1/2 cup	118ml	Oil or melted butter
2 1/2 cups	156g / 5.5oz	Bread flour
2 1/2 cups	156g / 5.5oz	Unbleached all purpose flour - (to 3 cups)
		Flour - for kneading
3 cups	711ml	Apples in 1/2" dice - peeled or unpeeled
1		Egg yolk
		Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons	30ml	Coarse sugar - (to 3 tbspns) - for sprinkling (or use granulated sugar)

Recipe Instructions

Stir together water, 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in large mixing bowl. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve yeast. Briskly stir in 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, vanilla, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and oil.

Combine flours and stir in enough to form stiff dough. Add in additional flour as needed and knead 8 to 10 minutes to make smooth dough. Place in lightly greased bowl and insert bowl in large plastic bag and loosely seal, or cover lightly with towel, and set in warm place. Rest until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place diced apples in medium bowl and toss with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Prepare egg wash by whisking together remaining whole egg and yolk. Spray 12- by 5-inch loaf pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. If you do not have big enough loaf pan, use 2 (9- by 5-inch) loaf pans.

Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Roll or pat out into large round (about 10 inches across). Press in half of apples. Fold in outer edges or corners of dough over apples (any way you can) and press to seal. Flatten dough slightly and press on remaining apples, folding dough over apples, pressing in any apples that may pop out (just stick them on top of the dough later on). Don't worry if apples and sugar start oozing out -- it works out in the end. Rest dough 5 minutes on work surface.

Using sharp knife, cut into uneven chunks -- about 16 pieces in all. Lay pieces of apple-filled dough in prepared pan, lining bottom first, then gently laying remaining pieces on top, mixing angles of cut chunks. Top with any escaped apple pieces. Spray dough with light coating of nonstick cooking spray.

Place pan(s) in large plastic bag and seal loosely or cover with towel and set in warm place. Let rise until puffy and almost flush with top of pan, 45 to 90 minutes, depending on temperature.

Remove from bag and dab on egg wash as thoroughly and generously as possible (since dough is not smooth surface, you have to drizzle and dab on glaze, rather than paint it on). Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until well browned, 50 to 55 minutes.

Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing and cooling on rack. Pull apart bread to serve or cut into slices.

Source:
"The Los Angeles Times, 09-01-1999"

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