Whole wheat challah

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I wanted to make French toast for Thanksgiving breakfast, and in order to do that, I had to make either challah or brioche. So I decided to try making 50% whole wheat challah, as I felt that brioche has too much butter, and I would need to buy more eggs to make that.

Anyway, I decided that I would simply substitute 2 cups of whole wheat flour (plus 2 Tbsp VWG) for some of the flour, and I ended up using 2 cups of bread flour as well.

Here's how the raw dough looks after braiding:

The ropes were a bit more difficult to work with than when I make challah with all white flour, and they seemed to dry out a bit, especially at the ends. As you can see, I did not make a very tight braid, but it did rise a bit more after I finished braiding it and allowed it to rise for another 45 minutes. After that, I brushed it with egg white and sprinkled it with sesame seeds, which I store in the freezer.

I only had toasted sesame seeds, and so I spritzed the loaf with water before baking:

It tastes okay, and I think it will make good French toast. The egg flavor is less noticeable in the 50% whole wheat version, but that will be compensated for when I make French toast.

Do you have a favorite whole wheat challah recipe?

I think I will go ahead and make brioche for Christmas, despite the extra butter, since it is Kevin's favorite.

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claudia valentine

3 years ago

Lars, your bread is absolutely beautiful!!!!

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Comments (11)

Olychick
3 years ago
What a gorgeous loaf of bread!
Lars thanked Olychick
porkchop_z5b_MI
3 years ago
That is one of the most beautiful loaves of challah I've ever seen, Lars! It rose beautifully.
Lars thanked porkchop_z5b_MI
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User
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
A work of art!

My MIL used to make paska for Easter. It was braided but baked in a round pan. She’d put coloured eggs in it. I think it supposed to look like a bird’s nest.

Good job, Lars.
Lars thanked User
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I don't recall ever making challah bread - grew up eating a lot of it tho.

Yours looks beautiful!

I have noticed that adding some WW flour does seem to make for denser results than using all unbleached.
Lars thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
lizbeth-gardener
3 years ago
Gorgeous loaf! You did a great job with the uniformity of the braids. I wonder if white whole wheat would be less drying.
Lars thanked lizbeth-gardener
Lars
Original Author
3 years ago
I might white whole wheat in the future or just go back to regular bread flour.

When I made the French toast, I found that I needed to slice the bread 1/2" thick instead of 3/4", the way I had sliced it when I made it with white flour. Also, I tried putting powdered sugar on the French toast, but it really needed syrup.
petalique
3 years ago
What a beautiful looking challah, Lars. Fabulous.
Lars thanked petalique
Rho Dodendron
3 years ago
Not posting my Challah recipe because it was developed for a pre school class.

BUT

I sub up to 50% whole wheat sometimes. Of course it's not beautiful like yours--just yummy.
Lars thanked Rho Dodendron
laceyvail 6A, WV
3 years ago
Lars, your bread is indeed beautiful and I bet it tastes great, but if you are on the edge of diabetes as you've posted......you really shouldn't be eating bread or French toast.

Dr. Robert Lustig is an endocrinologist and acknowledged authority on diabetes and reversal of it through diet. I urge you to look into his videos, TED talks and books.
Lars thanked laceyvail 6A, WV
Lars
Original Author
3 years ago
I would not say that I am on the edge of diabetes, and while I do eat bread, I do not eat it every day. In addition to French toast, I eat waffles and have a recipe for a high protein version. French toast has more protein than just bread because of the eggs and milk, and I do not put syrup on it.

I do not find it necessary to give something up completely (and I won't), but I do watch how much of certain things I eat. My glucose levels are already declining.

Whole wheat challah

claudia valentine

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Whole wheat challah

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