Harvest Apple Challah
Harvest Apple Challah is a beautifully delicious challah that nods to many traditions of the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah.
To welcome in a sweet new year, apples and honey are served or incorporated into many recipes. Honey is used to sweeten this challah and chopped apples are woven through the dough.
The round shape symbolizes the cycle of one year’s passing and the beginning of the next.
There are a few more steps than making a traditional challah, but they aren’t difficult steps and it’s well worth it!
To make the dough, combine all of the ingredients and knead in a mixer for 6 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let rise for 2 hours. Deflate the dough and flatten it into a rectangle.
Make the filling by tossing the apple chunks with cinnamon and sugar.
Begin to assemble by spreading half of the apples in the middle of the dough rectangle.
Fold one third of the dough up over the top of the apples and press down. Spread the remaining apples on the top of the dough that has the apples below it. Then fold up the last third over those apples. Press to seal the edges as best as possible.
Using a large sharp knife or a bench scraper, cup the dough in half lengthwise and then cut it in 8 strips going the other directions. It will be messy and some apples will fall out. That’s okay!
Transfer the portions of apple-filled dough into a prepared cake pan, adding any apples that may have fallen out. Line the bottom of the pan and then add any extra portions to the top.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. Brush it with a beaten egg and sprinkle coarse sugar over the top.
Bake the challah in a preheated oven for 55-65 minutes or until it’s a golden brown.
Remove from the oven and remove it from the pan. Let it cool and then serve with additional honey.
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Harvest Apple Challah
Makes: one 9-inch round challah
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Bake Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours & 30 minutes
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1/2 cup water, lukewarm
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, safflower preferred
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups (480g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp instant yeast or active dry yeast
Filling:
- 3 cups (340g) apples, cored but unpeeled, cut in 3/4 ̋ chunks
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Topping:
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- coarse sparkling sugar, optional
- honey for drizzling, optional
Instructions
To make the dough, weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix together all of the dough ingredients. Knead the dough in your mixer at medium-low speed for 6 minutes, or by hand for 8 minutes. The dough should be soft and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 2 hours, or until puffy; when you poke the dough with your finger, the dent will remain and not bounce back. If you’ve made the dough in a bread machine, allow it to rise in the machine for an extra hour after the dough cycle is completed.
Lightly grease a 9″ round cake pan that’s at least 2″ deep, or a 9″ or 10″ tube pan.
Gently deflate the risen dough, transfer it to a lightly greased work surface, and flatten it into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle.
To make the filling, toss the apple chunks with the cinnamon and sugar.
To assemble, spread half the apple mixture in the center of the dough. Fold one short edge over the apples to cover them, patting the edges firmly to seal the apples inside. Spread the remaining filling on top of the folded-over dough. Cover with the other side of the dough, again patting firmly and pinching the edges to seal.
Using a bench knife or long sharp knife, cut the apple-filled dough in half lengthwise, then in eight strips across the short length. This will be messy, with some apples falling out.
Transfer the portions of dough and any stray apples to the prepared pan, forming a single layer across the bottom. Stack more dough on top of the first layer if needed to fit them all in.
Cover with greased plastic wrap or the reusable wrap of your choice, and let rise for about 1 hour, until puffy looking. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat your oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower third.
When the dough has risen, uncover it and brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake the challah for 55 to 65 minutes, until it’s a deep golden brown. Some of the top pieces may caramelize; that’s OK.
Remove the challah from the oven and place it (still in the pan) on a rack for 5 minutes. After this rest, remove the challah from the pan and return it to the rack. Serve warm, drizzled with honey.
Store covered at room temperature for up to three days; freeze for longer storage.
Chef’s Note:
Be sure to use good-quality honey and oil in this recipe. Since they play such a major part, they have to taste good. We prefer safflower oil, as it’s neutral-flavored. Canola oil can produce off flavors in baking, so best not to use it here.
Recipe from King Arthur Baking
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