Challah!

Picture, if you will, a lone figure crawling across a barren desert, lips chapped, skin burned by the relentless sun, clothes dirty and wrinkled. As this figure trudges forward, gasping for breath, you can see something held aloft..

A loaf of four-strand braided, freshly-made challah.

That’s pretty much how I feel this month. Only add a little 8 month old hellion wrapped like wysteria vine around my ankles or clinging to my back like the little koala she is.

Anyways – I feel absolutely fortunate I found time to get this done, and done in one piece! There’s no photos of my mise en place because it doesn’t exist… No time for neatness, this was no-frills-slash and burn-bread-baking.

I’m really glad I soldiered on because this bread is fantastic. I used Rose’s updated recipe, including making biga three full days ahead of time. What a joy this dough was to work with. And I am immensely proud of my four-strand braiding! I’ve never attempted this before, not even with hair, so I was pretty excited to give it a go.

The bread itself is delicious – little baby was very disappointed she couldn’t have her share (due to the honey in the dough). Fabulous as toast, french toast, or just to nibble on while running from one errand to the next. What a way to finish out the year as a bread-baker!

Happy holidays everyone – and Merry Baking as Rose says 🙂 I will be breaking out my Rose’s Cookie Book shortly to make some Cloud Nine Crunchies.