Since St. Patrick's Day is coming up, the next few recipes are going to be Irish related. My husband and I are going to Ireland in June, and we're both very excited. One of the bucket-list things to do is drink a Guinness or two from the Guinness Brewery. I'm sure it'll be amazing...even for the girl who doesn't love beer so much. This bread is made with Guinness instead of water, but you can't really taste the Guinness. It has great flavor though, and you definitely should make it. Challah is an amazing bread, and it's easy to make. Please don't be afraid of making bread at home. It's easy and so worth it. If you are anti-beer or don't have any on hand, you can use water instead of the Guinness.
I use my stand mixer to make bread, but if you have a bread maker you can use that on the dough setting. Or you can mix and knead by hand, but it takes a little more elbow grease. Just do it on a day when you're frustrated!
Below are some pictures to explain how to shape the dough into the beautiful braided round challah loaf.
Split the dough into three pieces, and stretch/roll into long ropes. Mine were about three feet long.
I use my stand mixer to make bread, but if you have a bread maker you can use that on the dough setting. Or you can mix and knead by hand, but it takes a little more elbow grease. Just do it on a day when you're frustrated!
Below are some pictures to explain how to shape the dough into the beautiful braided round challah loaf.
Split the dough into three pieces, and stretch/roll into long ropes. Mine were about three feet long.
Braid the ropes together, careful to not tangle the ends of the dough. I figure this is what braiding Rapunzel's hair is like. Sorry for the slightly blurry picture on this one.
Start in the middle, and coil the braid around itself. Tuck the end under the bottom of the coil.
Guinness Challah
Print this recipe
Makes 2 loaves
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (2 envelopes)
1 cup Guinness, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
4 eggs
6-6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
In a bowl, mix the yeast into the room temperature Guinness. Add the sugar and give it a few minutes to bubble. Add in the oil and eggs. Mix together and add in the flour. Mix with the paddle until combined. Let rest for 5 minutes and then add in the salt. Mix until combined and switch to the dough hook. Mix for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you're mixing by hand, knead for about 6-8 minutes. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour or until it's doubled in size.
Split the dough into two halves, and split each half into three equal pieces. Stretch each into long ropes, about three feet long. Braid the ropes together, pinching ends to seal, and tucking both ends under itself. Start in the middle, and coil the braid around itself. Tuck the end under the bottom of the coil. Transfer to a baking sheet and let proof for about one hour. Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before slicing. You can also add poppy or sesame seeds on top of the egg wash before you bake.
Print this recipe
Makes 2 loaves
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (2 envelopes)
1 cup Guinness, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
4 eggs
6-6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
In a bowl, mix the yeast into the room temperature Guinness. Add the sugar and give it a few minutes to bubble. Add in the oil and eggs. Mix together and add in the flour. Mix with the paddle until combined. Let rest for 5 minutes and then add in the salt. Mix until combined and switch to the dough hook. Mix for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you're mixing by hand, knead for about 6-8 minutes. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour or until it's doubled in size.
Split the dough into two halves, and split each half into three equal pieces. Stretch each into long ropes, about three feet long. Braid the ropes together, pinching ends to seal, and tucking both ends under itself. Start in the middle, and coil the braid around itself. Tuck the end under the bottom of the coil. Transfer to a baking sheet and let proof for about one hour. Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before slicing. You can also add poppy or sesame seeds on top of the egg wash before you bake.
Source: Barely adapted from Taste of Home
