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Guinness Challah

3/4/2012

 
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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.
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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.
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Start in the middle, and coil the braid around itself. Tuck the end under the bottom of the coil.  
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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.
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Source: Barely adapted from Taste of Home
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Tara Noland link
3/5/2012 02:05:16 am

That is a work of art!!!

She Makes and Bakes
3/8/2012 12:28:10 am

Thanks!

Amber/Sprinkled With Flour link
3/5/2012 03:25:36 am

This bread is so beautiful, and it looks delicious too!

She Makes and Bakes
3/8/2012 12:28:45 am

Thanks! It's so delish!

Julia {The Roasted Root} link
3/5/2012 12:04:41 pm

Wow, your challah is absolutely gorgeous and intricate! I love baking and cooking with beer (and guinness happens to be one of my favorite beers - HUGE fan of stout and porter here) so this recipe instantly caught my eye. Thanks for accepting my friend request on Tasty Kitchen and I look forward to seeing more of your recipes :)

Emily link
3/5/2012 11:03:52 pm

Unfortunately, you can't really taste the Guinness in this bread because of the eggs and sugar, but it's still really good! I'm thinking of making French bread with Guinness. You'd really be able to taste it in there.

Keira Jones link
3/5/2012 08:57:50 pm

This bread looks amazing! Beautiful, look forward to getting to know you through your blog and TK!!

She Makes and Bakes
3/8/2012 12:29:16 am

Thanks! Looking forward to getting to know you as well!

Kristy @ Eat Play Love link
3/6/2012 04:27:56 am

This is a gorgeous challah! I'm so impressed. I'm terrible when it comes to breads - let alone making them look pretty. I'm suddenly craving carbs now too. :)

She Makes and Bakes
3/8/2012 12:29:58 am

Thanks! It's really not that hard; you should give it a try. The dough is easy to work with and very forgiving!

Trader Joes Recipes link
3/8/2012 01:32:56 am

Challah is one of my favorites …this one looks GREAT!

She Makes and Bakes
3/8/2012 01:47:32 am

Thank you!

Shelly
3/10/2012 02:24:05 am

Lovely bread! My husband & I went to Ireland for our 10th wedding anniverary in 2009. It is gorgeous there and you cannot ask for nicer people. It was the best vacation we've taken and I can't wait to go back. Enjoy your trip!

Anna {hiddenponiesfood} link
3/12/2012 11:22:16 am

This is GORGEOUS, amazing work!

Samantha link
3/13/2012 11:00:39 pm

WOW! That looks gorgeous.


Comments are closed.

     Welcome!

    Cooking is fun and easy at high altitude, but baking can be frustrating. About 90% of my recipes work everywhere, but some are adjusted so us mountain dwellers can enjoy baked goods from scratch. I hope you find great recipes on here for your family, and I'll let you know if any are adjusted for high altitude. 

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