Challah braiding class

[Mike Nolan]

The Challah Prince has many interesting ways of braiding Challah, he's teaching a class on it next Sunday for $35. (Yes, I'm registered for it.)

See Challah Braiding Class

He's getting ready to move from Berlin to Israel, I wonder what changes that will make in his baking?

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[Mike Nolan]

The braiding class went well, though I'm exhausted after spending a good 3 hours prepping for the class, over 2 hours on Zoom and then another hour and a half baking the things we made in class.

I'll get some pictures posted later, I thought the 11 strand and 8 strand braids came out well, the 5 strand one needs work.

We also made some Challah roses using a simple 3 strand braid, I think one came out good enough to post a picture of, I'll have to practice that one some more, too. But it looks like a good thing to do with any left over dough and if I can master them they'd make good rolls to set out at everyone's place at a dinner party or to help decorate a table.

[Joan Simpson]

I can't wait to see your pictures Mike!

[Mike Nolan]

Here's the 11 strand braid. All of these came out a bit dark, because it used an egg yolk wash, this one might be overbaked by a minute or two

Here's the 8 strand braid. I gave this one to our neighbor, as I don't have space in the freezer for all of them.

Here's the 5 strand braid, which came out a bit wobbly. You turn it on its side after the braiding, and are supposed to pull it open, but I couldn't figure out where.

Here's the rose, this is made with a 3 strand braid that is rolled up and cut in half to make two rolls.

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[Joan Simpson]

Mike I think they look good.That's a lot of braiding!I've never done more than a three strand braid.

[BakerAunt]

Wow! That was quite the class! I'm impressed with the variety of challah braiding that you did, and your breads are impressive.

I've done a 5-strand braid for my version of the KAF Pumpkin Ginger Bread, but that is as complicated as I have tried.

[Mike Nolan]

The 8 strand one seemed easier for me to do than the 5 strand one, which sounds strange.

After he gets set up in Israel, I think he's planning on doing a class with a 10 strand braid. Of the ones we made yesterday, I am probably most likely to make the 8 strand, though I do want to practice the rose one again. (I think I left out a step on the batch that I made later in the day, I need to watch the video of the class again.)

The 11 strand braid was huge, 1100 grams of dough. It'd be good for a large gathering, though.

His Challah recipe is one that doesn't have egg in the dough, though it does have sugar. He says doughs without egg keep the bread softer longer. We'll see.

[Italiancook]

Mike, you Challah are amazing! Congratulations!

[navlys]

Very impressive!

[BakerAunt]

Here's an interesting piece on new challah twists:

The Challah Internet Is Full of Golden Twists and Turns

[Mike Nolan]

An interesting article, not enough pictures, though, and it doesn't answer the question of how to make a honey-stuffed challah.

Idan (ChallahPrince) has some really complicated braids on his Instagram page. I asked him the question about the 6 strand braid in The Deli Man, he agrees with Jeff Hamelman that it is the same as the classic 6 strand braid, but admits that the way it is done looks totally different and weird, he calls it a 'baker thing'.

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