L’shanah Tova – Challah filled with apples, quince and honey

Nothing is more associated with Jewish celebrations and special occasions than challah (pronounced “hallah”).  A delicious egg-enriched braided loaf similar to brioche, challah is eaten at almost every major Jewish holiday and life event as well as on every Sabbath.  At Rosh Hashanah, challah takes on a new shape and a special meaning.  For the New Year, we forgo the traditional braid for a round loaf.  The circular shape represents the cyclical nature of the year and of life.  Each year I look forward to making challah for Rosh Hashanah.  I love it for a couple of reasons.  First, we eat a sweet challah for a sweet new year and I enjoy the challenge of coming up with new sweet flavors that are interesting, tasty and respectful of our traditions.  Second, the round loaf is so pretty, but never too pretty to eat.

I usually start thinking about what I am going to make for Rosh Hashanah sometime in July, looking around my local farmer’s market and ethnic grocery stores for ideas.  Apples and honey are a must but I can’t stop there. This year I decided to take something from my boyfriend’s family traditions.  Unlike my grandmother, the BF’s bubbe is an amazing cook.   For an Oneg last year, I made a version of her strudel which is filled with apples and membrillo or quince paste.  It’s a combination of her European heritage and Argentine upbringing.  In the interest of complete honesty, the BF’s sister gave me a huge can of membrillo last year and I’ve been looking for an excuse to use it up.  As an aside, membrillo is great on a cheese platter and often found at better grocery stores with the fine cheeses.  I  decided to use a combination of apples, honey and quince to fill this year’s challah to create a sweet and fragrant loaf full of tangy quince, juicy apples and sweet honey.

I use the same basic challah recipe no matter what kind of flavor or filling.  You can make this as a parve loaf or a dairy loaf.  The use of butter and milk makes for a much richer loaf but it will still be really delicious made with water and oil.

Makes two large round or braided loaves.

Basic Challah Dough

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water1/2  cup vegetable oil1/4  cup packed brown sugar3 large eggs3 egg yolks7 cups unbleached all purpose flour2 teaspoons salt1 scant tablespoon instant yeast

Filling

1 tablespoons vegetable oil.3 cups baking apples diced small ( I used fuji)1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 cup honey1/2 cup membrillo (quince paste), diced

Glaze

1 whole egg1 tablespoon cold waterSparkling sugar (optional)

To make the filling:

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat for a couple of minutesAdd apples and salt. Cover and cook until the apples start to release their juiceRemove cover and add honey. At this point it can burn easily so don’t walk away.Cook, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated and the apples are coated in the honey syrupRemove from heat and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the membrillo. Stir gently so that the membrillo is evenly distributed.Set aside until ready to fill loaf.  The filling can be stored for several days in the refrigerator. Most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan.

To make the dough:

Combine all of the dough ingredients and knead them, by hand or stand mixer, until you have soft, smooth, elastic and slightly sticky dough. Dough is smooth, elastic and slightly sticky. Very small air bubbles have formed under the surface.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and allow to rise, covered, for about 2 hours, or until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, and shape each piece into a rough 6? log. Cover the logs with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.Roll each log into a 12? rope. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.Continue rolling the ropes until they’re about 15? long. Form section into a ropeFlatten each rope with your palm or a rolling pin until it’s approximately 3 inches wide.  The ends may be narrower, don’t worry about it. Flatten rope into a rough rectangle.

Place two tablespoons of filling along the center of the rope and pinch closed. Repeat with all eight ropes.Take four of the ropes and braid into a round loaf. Here is a YouTube video to demonstrate how this is done. (click here)Repeat with remaining strands for the second loaf. Form into an overlapping crosshatch. Overlap each strand over it's neighbor to the left. Repeat in the opposite direction. Tuck loose ends under braid for a neat appearance.

Gently pick up the loaf, and place it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.Cover the loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise till it’s very puffy, 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water, and brush this glaze over the risen loaf. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.Place the baking sheet atop another baking sheet; this will insulate the bread’s bottom crust, and keep it from browning too much. Put the challah in the lower third of the oven, and bake it for 20 minutesTent the challah loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown.Remove the bread from the oven, and place it on a rack to cool.

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