Sourdough Round Honey-Apple Challah

Ingredients

The Dough

Weigh everything before you start. Enriched dough moves fast once it comes together.

• 450g (about 3 3/4 cups) bread flour
• 100g (about 1/2 cup) active 100% hydration sourdough starter — Use at or near peak
• 90g (6 tablespoons) lukewarm water
• 100g (2 large eggs) large eggs
• 18g (1 large egg yolk) large egg yolk
• 50g (3 1/2 tablespoons) neutral oil
• 40g (2 tablespoons) honey
• 25g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 9g (1 1/2 teaspoons) fine sea salt

The Fruit

Dice the apple close to the time it goes in so it doesn't sit and weep.

• 120g (about 1 cup diced) firm tart apple, peeled and diced — Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 5g (1 teaspoon) lemon juice — For tossing with the apple
• 40g (about 1/4 cup) golden raisins — Optional. Soak 10 minutes and pat completely dry

Finishing

The egg white comes out of the dough eggs, so reserve it when you crack them.

• 33g (1 large egg white) large egg white
• 5g (1 teaspoon) water — For the egg wash
• 15g (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) honey, warmed — For brushing after baking
• 10g (about 1 tablespoon) sesame seeds — Optional

Total flour: 500g including the flour in the starter

Hydration: 28% water, plus eggs, oil and honey

Pro tip: The 100g of starter carries 50g flour and 50g water. Those are already counted in the totals, so don't add them on top of the flour and water listed here.

Equipment

Method

Starter Readiness (Strong starter, or nothing else matters)

Enriched sourdough asks more of a starter than a lean loaf does. Start strong or the whole schedule drags.

1. Check the Starter. Use the starter when it is active, well aerated and at or near peak. It should smell pleasantly fermented and show plenty of bubbles throughout. This dough contains eggs, oil, honey and sugar. Those ingredients slow fermentation, so beginning with a strong starter matters.

Tip: If your starter takes more than 8 hours to peak, feed it twice before baking day. A sluggish starter in an enriched dough turns a 6-hour bulk into a 10-hour one.

Mix the Dough (Liquids first, then flour, then salt)

Enriched dough lies to you. It looks slack long after the gluten has started to organize. Read your hands, not the bowl.

1. Mix the Liquids. Whisk together the water, whole eggs, egg yolk, oil, honey and sugar until smooth. Add the active starter and whisk until mostly dispersed. Reserve the egg white in the refrigerator for the final wash.
2. Add the Flour. Add the bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will initially be rough and somewhat firm. Do not add more water yet.
3. Rest 20 Minutes. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. This gives the flour time to hydrate before the salt and full kneading begin.
4. Add Salt and Knead. Add the salt. Knead until the dough becomes smooth, elastic and satiny. On a mixer, about 6 to 8 minutes at medium-low speed. By hand, about 8 to 12 minutes. The dough should stretch thin enough to allow light through without immediately tearing. Watch the dough, not the clock.

Tip: If the dough climbs the hook and slaps the sides of the bowl, you're close. If it's still puddling after 6 minutes, give it 2 more before you reach for flour.

Bulk Fermentation and the Fruit (Cues over clock)

Bulk fermentation builds the strength and flavor. The apple comes in partway through, not at the mix, and that timing is the difference between a clean braid and a shredded one.

1. Bulk Ferment. Place the dough in a lightly covered container at about 76 to 78°F (24 to 26°C). Bulk fermentation will usually take 4 to 6 hours. Do not wait for the dough to double. Bulk is complete when the dough shows about 50 to 75% expansion, a smoother and slightly domed surface, small fermentation bubbles, a lighter and more aerated feel, and some jiggle when the container is moved. The timer shows a range, but the readiness cues take priority.
2. Prepare the Fruit. Peel and dice the apple into about 1/4-inch pieces. Toss with the lemon juice. If using raisins, soak them for 10 minutes in warm water, then dry them thoroughly. Wet raisins can bleed into the crumb.
3. Add the Fruit. Gently stretch the dough into a rough rectangle. Scatter the apples and optional raisins evenly across the surface. Fold one third toward the center, then fold the opposite third over it like a letter fold.
4. Rest and Coil Fold. Rest for about 20 minutes. Give the dough one gentle coil fold to distribute the fruit and restore some strength. Handle it carefully from this point forward.

Wait: PT5H

Tip: A cool kitchen stretches this out. Enriched sourdough at 70°F (21°C) can run 8 hours in bulk and still be right. Read the dough.

Divide, Braid and Form the Crown (A round challah is a straight braid coiled into a spiral)

The braid is the easy part. The tuck at the end is what separates a crown from a cinnamon roll that gave up.

1. Divide. Divide the dough into four equal pieces using a digital scale. Equal strands matter. Uneven pieces produce an uneven crown.
2. Form the Strands. Roll each piece into a rope about 14 to 16 inches long. Keep the middle slightly thicker and taper the ends. The taper helps the finished crown sit flat instead of forming a cone.
3. Four-Strand Braid. Arrange the four ropes and form a four-strand braid. Keep the braid secure but not tight. The strands need room to expand during final proof and baking.
4. Form the Round Crown. Starting at one end, wind the completed braid into a spiral. Keep each turn gently against the previous one without squeezing them together. Tuck the final tapered end firmly underneath the loaf. A loose tail can unwind in the oven and turn the round braid into an open scroll.

Tip: Coil the braid directly on the parchment. Moving a shaped crown after the fact is how tails come loose.

Final Proof, Preheat and Wash (Read the dough, not the clock)

Under-proof and it bursts at the seams. Over-proof and the braid definition blurs.

1. Final Proof. Transfer the challah to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover loosely. Proof at about 76 to 78°F (24 to 26°C) for about 2 to 4 hours. The strands look visibly fuller, the loaf feels lighter, and the spaces between the braid have softened. A gentle fingertip indentation springs back slowly and leaves a slight impression. If the dough snaps back immediately, continue proofing. If the indentation remains deeply sunken and the dough feels fragile, bake immediately.
2. Preheat. About 25 to 30 minutes before you expect the proof to finish, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a rack in the center.
3. Poke Test and Egg Wash. Run the poke test one last time, then whisk the reserved egg white with 5g of water. Brush the entire challah carefully with the egg wash, including the spaces between the strands. Add sesame seeds if desired.

Wait: PT3H

Tip: Naturally leavened enriched dough gives you a wider proof window than a yeasted one. Use it. There is no prize for rushing.

Bake, Glaze and Cool

Moderate heat and a long enough bake. Honey-rich dough browns fast, so watch the color and trust the thermometer over your eyes.

Oven: 190°C / 375°F. Internal temperature when done: 88-91°C / 190-195°F.

Sheet Pan, Standard Oven (recommended)

No steam, no Dutch oven. Challah wants dry heat and a soft, glossy crust.

Equipment: Parchment-lined sheet pan

1. Bake. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes. The crust should be deep gold, not mahogany. Check the thickest portion of the loaf with an instant-read thermometer and pull it at 190 to 195°F (88 to 91°C).
2. Tent If Needed. Honey-rich dough browns quickly. If the crust becomes deeply golden before the center reaches temperature, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. Color is not doneness.
3. Honey Finish. As soon as the loaf comes from the oven, brush it lightly with the warmed honey. The honey sets into a glossy finish as the loaf cools.
4. Cool. Transfer the challah to a cooling rack. Cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing. The crumb of an enriched loaf is still setting while it cools.

Convection Oven

Faster and more even, but it colors quicker.

Equipment: Parchment-lined sheet pan

1. Reduce Temperature. Drop to 350°F (175°C) with the fan on and start checking at 24 minutes. Same internal target of 190 to 195°F (88 to 91°C).

Note: Cutting a hot enriched loaf collapses the crumb and compresses the braid. I know it's hard. Wait anyway.

Storage

• Room temperature: 2 to 3 days, wrapped after it has cooled completely.
• Refrigerated: Not recommended. Refrigeration accelerates staling.
• Frozen: Up to 3 months. Cool completely, wrap tightly and freeze whole or sliced.
• Refresh: Heat at 325°F (163°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Day-old slices make outstanding French toast, which is the real reason to bake two.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't my enriched sourdough rising as quickly as regular sourdough?

Eggs, oil, honey and sugar slow fermentation. This dough should not be expected to follow the same schedule as a lean sourdough loaf. Use dough cues rather than the clock.

Why did my round challah open while baking?

The final end may not have been tucked securely underneath the crown, or the spiral may have been wound too loosely.

Why is my challah dense?

The most common causes are a weak starter, insufficient bulk fermentation, underproofing or cutting the loaf before the crumb has finished setting.

Why did the crust get dark before the middle was finished?

Honey and sugar encourage rapid browning. Tent the loaf loosely with foil and continue baking until the center reaches 190 to 195°F (88 to 91°C).

Why did my braid lose definition?

The dough may have been overproofed, the strands may have been rolled too thin, or the braid may have been formed too loosely.

Do I add the starter on top of the flour and water in the list?

No. The 100g of starter carries 50g flour and 50g water, and both are already counted in the 500g total flour and the 140g total water. That's why the bread flour reads 450g and the water reads 90g. It keeps this loaf matched to the yeasted version.

Nutrition

Per serving (1/12 of loaf): 300 calories. Makes 12 servings.