Ingredients
For the „Wild Preferment“:
- 125 g active Yeast Water*
- 125 g bread flour
- For the dough
- 250 g „Wild Preferment“
- 155 g water - at room temperature
- 10 g sugar
- 15 g canola oil
- 375 g bread flour
- 10 g salt
For the lye bath:
- Baking soda or food grade lye
- coarse salt
IMPORTANT: Baking soda and food grade lye is NOT THE SAME! Baking soda won't give you quite the same crust and taste as food grade lye, but it is a good alternative. Using food grade lye (sodium hydroxide) can bring your breads/pretzels to the next level but you have to read the safety instructions very carefully before use!
Instructions
Wild Preferment:
- The day before making the dough: mix together 125g active Yeast Water and the bread flour. Stir well and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let the mixture sit at 24C (75.2F) overnight. The Wild Preferment must be bubbly and at least doubled in size.
Dough:
- Mix all ingredients on low speed for 12–15 minutes until the dough becomes soft and smooth. Don’t be tempted to add additional flour - dough is meant to be rather sticky and a bit gummy initially. Desired dough temperature after kneading: is 23-24 C (73.4-75.2F).
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it rest at 22–24 C (71.6 -75.2F) for about 2 hours. Dough must be airy but not doubled in size!
Shaping/braiding:
- Depending on the desired type of braiding, divide the dough into equal portions. By using a kitchen scale, check that the portions are about the same weight.
- First, shape the pieces into thick strands and allow them to sit and relax for at least 10 minutes then roll them to equally long and thick rope-like strands. Braid the strands as seen in the video below or as you like.
- Cover the challah with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 2-3 hours at 22-24 C (71.6-75.2F), then place it in the fridge for another hour uncovered It will be easier to dunk the challah in lye when stiff, and the dough skin is somewhat dry.
Bath:
- Dip the challah in the Baking Soda or the Lye Bath according to the instructions and sprinkle with coarse salt. I prefer to use a gratin form for the dipping. Bake for 40 min. at 190C/374F in the well-preheated oven.
Notes
* There are several ways to prepare and use Wild Yeast Water. Personally, I prefer to work with dried organic dates for the Wild Yeast Water and use an overnight "Wild Preferment" for the dough. The Wild Yeast Water is easy to prepare: add 150g of water and 6 chopped dates in a jar and let it ferment for a couple of days in warm temperatures, stirring time to time. After that add another 150g of water and a few more dates in the the jar and let it ferment for another 1-2 days. When it’s ready, the top will be foamy and the smell will resemble of a young wine. For this dough, spoon out of the jar 125g active yeast water, and store the rest in the refrigerator. If necessary, simply refresh it with fresh water and dates.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!