Poolish Challah

Kalach or challah, this delicately sweet and tender bread is a favorite in many regions with different names. This dairy-free bread is beautifully braided with various strands. And I like to keep the braiding pattern somewhere between mid when it comes to difficulty level. I use six strands to braid mine in a beautiful loaf.
There are many ways to consume challah. One of my favorite ways is to toast a slice in some butter, sprinkling some sugar on top and caramelizing it. With a generous scoop of ice cream and some fresh berries on top, you made yourself a delightful dessert that will for sure satisfy the sweet cravings.

Poolish Challah from My Earth Kitchen

For Poolish:
1 tsp Active dry yeast, 4g
6 Oz. Water. ¾ cup
155g all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ cup

Combine everything in a tight-lid container. Leave it over the counter for 6 hours.

For Challah:
Poolish
2 eggs
½ cup oil
1 ½ tbsp mayonnaise
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp sugar
2 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla paste
3 cups flour, 375g

Combine poolish with eggs, oil, mayo, honey, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a food processor bowl. Mix everything well and start adding flour to it gradually. Run the processor till you have a smooth and creamy dough. Transfer to a bowl and let it rise till it doubles in size.

Then divide the dough into six equal parts. Roll out the dough pieces into 18’’ long, even strands.
After rolling all six parts into long strands, gather them and pinch the top ends together. Proceed with braiding it tight as you can see in the video.
After braiding, transfer it to parchment paper. Brush the surface with a thin layer of egg wash. Cover it with plastic and let it rise in a warm spot for two hours or till it triples in volume.

Heat oven to 350 F.
Uncover it and brush it again with egg wash. Sprinkle it with pearl sugar and transfer it to a baking tray. Bake in the upper third rack for 30-32 minutes. Rotate halfway through baking for even color. If you see it's getting too dark, throw a piece of foil on top.
Remove and cool it completely. Slice It and serve it your way, toasted or untoasted. Enjoy!