Challah with Apples and Honey

Tonight marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah. Happy New Year! I love this holiday and seize the opportunity for fresh beginnings. I treat it like a traditional new year and spend the day reflecting about the past year and year to come; straightening my apartment, organizing my life, and vowing to get to the gym; and cooking. Always cooking. And always vowing to get to the gym.

There are a few explanations about the origins of the tradition, but on this holiday, we enjoy a taste treat – apples and challah dipped in honey. I always learned that the round apple represents a fresh new year, and the honey symbolizes (well, pretty literally) sweetness. Together now: A sweet new year. Braided challah bread is a traditional Jewish food, but on Rosh Hashanah, challah is shaped into spirals to symbolize continuity.

This recipe combines apples, honey, and challah in one awesome 9″ round pan. I feel like you might not need serving suggestions (“slice, raise to mouth, and chew” seems a little obvious), but I recommend serving straight from the oven when it’s fresh and hot, or as soon as possible after. Keep it on your kitchen counter under a cake saver, and serve toasted slices with some spreadable honey butter* a day or two later. And if by some bizarre chance it lasts longer than that, use it in a bread pudding or slice it into crustless squares to use for french toast. {I have a few squares in my freezer now – get ready for breakfast Saturday, SLRH!}

Ingredients:
– 2 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
– 3.5 c flour, plus more for kneading
– 3/4 c warm water (100 degrees)
– 1/3 c honey {buy local! perfect farmer’s market purchase}
– 2 large eggs and 3 large egg yolks
– 1 package active dry yeast
– 1 t kosher salt
– 2 apples, peeled and sliced in to small thin pieces
– 2 T unsalted butter
– 3 T honey

How do I make it?

Spray a large bowl with olive oil spray and set aside.
Combine the melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 c honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl (not the one you sprayed). Mix until dough forms using a spoon or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth; or if using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix until smooth. Add a bit of flour if it gets too sticky to work with.
Transfer dough to prepared bowl, and spray with olive oil. Cover with plastic.
Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1.5 hours. It’s ok if it takes a little longer (if you have the time), and it’s also ok if it doesn’t totally double.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Press into a large rectangle, about 9″ x 14”. It doesn’t really matter exactly how big or what shape, you just want a large surface area. Spread the apples over the dough and then knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Spray again with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.
Butter sides and bottom of a 9” round cake pan. You can also cover the bottom with a 9″ round of parchment paper (but be sure to butter the sides). Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. It will not fill the pan, but fret not. Butter plastic wrap, and cover dough.
Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more. It should now fill the pan!
Preheat oven to 375.
Heat remaining 2 T butter and 3 T honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Brush dough with the honey butter.
Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.
Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes or until cool to the touch. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.

More information please?

* Honey butter can have a variety of ratios of honey : butter. You can use anything from 1/4 c honey : 1 T unsalted butter, to 1/4 c honey : 3 T unsalted butter. Heat the honey and butter in a small pan until the butter melts; refrigerate to solidify, or serve warm.