Challa
Annamaria
8 cups (1 kg) of flour,
6 egg yolks,
1â…” cups (400 ml) of whipping cream,
1½ cups (350 ml) of milk,
1½ ounces (50 g) of melted butter,
1 cup (120 g) of powdered sugar,
the zest of a lemon,
1 tablespoon of raisins soaked in rum (optional),
1 flat teaspoon of salt,
2 tablespoons of instant yeast,
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar For brushing
the dough:
1 egg Add the instant yeast and the granulated sugar to the warm milk. Let it sit covered for 5-8 minutes. Place the flour in a bowl and add salt, powdered sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, raisins and whipping cream. Slowly add the milk with the risen yeast. Knead it into a dough. When the ingredients start to form a ball, add the melted butter. Knead it until the dough absorbs the butter. It is ready when the dough feels smooth and becomes elastic in its texture. Transfer the dough into a floured surface and knead it for a minute. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit until it has doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, put it on a floured surface. Cut the dough in half, cut each loaf in six and form balls with your hands. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 15 minutes. Flatten the balls into a rectangle with your fingers as you see it in the video, and roll it up. Repeat these steps with the other balls. Rest the ropes covered for 5 minutes. Stretch out the dough in length and thickness by rolling it side to side (prepare 16-inch or 40-cm-long ropes). Make sure you leave the middle part thicker than the ends. Arrange three ropes in one group and pull the groups to the side by creating an empty place in the middle. Cross your hands in the air. The right hand goes above the left hand. Pick up the two outmost ropes with your hands and twist them. The rope in your left hand goes under the right hand. Put the rope in your right hand down to the left side in the middle. Now with your right hand pick up the left outmost rope and cross under the rope which is in your left hand. Hold the rope in your right hand in the air and place the other rope to the right side in the middle. Always do the braiding with the outmost rope and place it in the middle, to the same side, from where you picked it up. Repeat these steps until the strands are too short to continue crossing. Tuck the ends of dough under the loaf. Repeat the same with the leftover 6 balls. Transfer the kalacs into a parchment paper-lined baking pan and brush with an egg right away. Let it rest uncovered for 20 minutes and brush it with egg again.
Bake it in a preheated 355 F oven for approximately 30 minutes
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