Chappy Go Challah

Dear Scared of Breadbaking,
I'd like to share with you two reasons you should not be scared of breadbaking, using challah I made tonight to illustrate these reasons.

Reason #1: Not all breads are nitpicky. Challah is a great bread to make when you're learning because aside from its deliciousness, it is quite forgiving. You see, it is an egg bread, and that means yeast isn't the only thing helping it rise; egg is a leavener. So, not that you should be scared of yeast, but if you can't seem to get over that fear, just remember that egg can be your Prince Charming and come to the rescue.

Reason #2: Bread can be made in an evening, and without stealing the evening. I am living proof that bread can be made, from beginning to end, on a single work night, and you can still get plenty of other things done around the house and get a good night's rest. You're not actually working on the bread the whole evening. You're preparing the dough, letting it rise, shaping it, letting it rise, adding an egg wash, and then baking it. There's a lot of free time in there. Allow me to rewrite that schedule another way...

preparing the dough = preparing the dough
letting it rise = Marni watches TV and talks to friends
shaping it = shaping it
letting it rise = Marni pays bills online, reads a chapter of her book
adding an egg wash = adding an egg wash
baking it = Marni vacuums, reads another chapter of her book


I dare you to bake some bread in the middle of the week!

Sincerely,
Marni
p.s. My challah recipe comes from the incredible master breadbaker Beth Hensperger in her cookbook Bread Made Easy.