One of my all time favorite nostalgic foods is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with grape jelly. There is something about the sweetness of the jelly that takes me straight back to childhood. I vividly remember my elementary school cafeteria and lining up to get a lunch of a packaged peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chocolate milk, and some carrot sticks. Those were the best school lunches (aside from pizza dipped in ranch)! Sometimes, and especially now we need to find the simple pleasures in life, the things that take us back to simpler times.
This challah is a peanut butter dough with a grape jelly swirl that reminds me of those uncrustable sandwiches they used to serve in school cafeterias… but that’s not so bad, right?
Challah
4 ½ Teaspoons instant yeast (2 packets of active dry yeast works too but I have found instant yeast results in a fluffier texture)
¾ Cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten 1 Cup crunchy peanut butter
1 ½ Cups grape jelly
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup margarine, melted
7 cups all-purpose flour ( I typically use anywhere from 6-8 cups of flour depending on the temperature and humidity outside)
Whisk eggs, salt, ½ cup shortening, ¾ cup sugar, 2 cups warm water, yeast, and peanut butter in a large bowl.
Add the beaten eggs and flour one cup at a time to yeast mixture. Using a strong spatula to mix at the beginning and using your hands to mix once it gets too difficult with the spatula.
Once the dough is fully mixed, turn onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes. (If you don’t knead the dough well enough, the challah will not hold its shape when it is braided.)
Grease a large bowl with spray oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and put in the oven to prove. (Make sure the oven is off!) Proof until the dough is doubled in size about 45 minutes-1 hour.
Once proved, turn the dough onto a floured surface and cut into 6 equal portions. Keep three portions out and place three back into the bowl.
Roll each portion into a long rectangle. Spread the jelly evenly over the rectangle leaving about ⅓ inch on every side. Tightly roll the rectangle so that it creates a long rope and pinch the seam tightly so that it does not explode in the oven. Repeat for each of the other portions of dough.
Using your palm, press the three ropes together at the top and begin to braid the dough. Once finished braiding, tuck each of the ends under to create a more finished/clean look. Do the same with the remaining three pieces of dough. Let proof for another 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. While the oven is heating beat one egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the top of the loaves. Bake the loaves for 15 minutes, then increase the temperature to 425 degrees. (Keep an eye on the loaves once you up the temperature, you may have to cover them with tinfoil if the tops start to get too dark.)
Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes until the loaves sound hollow when you tap on the bottom.
NOTES: Do not try to slice the bread right when it comes out of the oven. If you are storing the bread to eat later, make sure it is fully cooled before you put it into any kind of container or it will create condensation that will lead to mold.
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