Buttermilk Bread, Buttermilk (egg-less) Challah

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 6 -7 1/2 cups bread flour (approx 780 grams) or 6 -7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (approx 780 grams)
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (15 g) or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (15 g) or 1 fresh yeast cake (15 g)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 3/4-2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 eggs (will require extra flour)
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 1 -2 tablespoon poppy seeds or 1 -2 tablespoon sesame seeds or 1 -2 tablespoon cracked wheat or 1 -2 tablespoon rolled oats or 1 -2 tablespoon sea salt, anything you like

Recipe

• 1 (start with 6 cups of flour and add more as you need it).
• 2 mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
• 3 mix the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.
• 4 pour the yeast, buttermilk, and honey into the flour mixture and mix well. (if making challah add eggs at this stage too, you may need as little as 1/2 cup to as much as 2 cups of flour, the dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky).
• 5 (if the dough is too dry add more buttermilk, if it is more like a cake batter add more flour, the measurements are approximate as your climate will change the consistancy of the dough).
• 6 knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes.
• 7 cover the bowl with plastic wrap (not airtight) or a damp cloth, and set aside to rise until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
• 8 divide the dough into 12 to 20 pieces. (if making challah bread the loaves at this stage).
• 9 shape each piece into a ball and place in a round dish or spring-form pan close together.
• 10 when all of the rolls are in the pan, cover again with plastic or a damp towel and set aside to rise again for an hour.
• 11 meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425.
• 12 uncover the rolls and brush gently with the egg wash. sprinkle on the topping, if you like.
• 13 bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 190-200°f (it might look finished on the outside but not on the inside, if you have a thermometer test the temp at about 20 mins, mines are usually done).
• 14 optional: glaze the bread with butter when it comes out of the oven. serve warm (but tastes fine cooled).