Honey Apple Challah Recipe

Today I bring you a recipe for a delicious style of bread featuring honey and apples:   Honey Apple Challah  (Holla!)

For the challah dough:

1/2 cup lukewarm water

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

4 cups flour

1 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon instant yeast

For the apple filling:

2 large apples, cored and diced into chunks

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 cup granulated sugar

1/8 cup honey

For the glaze:

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

honey for drizzling (we recommend buckwheat!)

1) To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them, by hand, mixer, or bread machine, until you have a soft, smooth dough.  You may need to gradually add a little more flour if the dough continues to stick to the bottom of the bowl.

2) With a floured hand, remove the dough from the mixing bowl and gently knead into a ball. Place in a large, greased bowl, and turn once to coat. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. This will take approximately 2-2 1/2 hours.

3.) Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan that has sides at least 2" tall.

4.) Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix to evenly coat the apples with the cinnamon, sugar, and honey.

5.) Gently deflate the dough and shape it into a 8" x 10" rectangle.  Spread half of the apple chunks down the center of the rectangle.  

6.)  Fold the long side of the dough over the apples and seal the edges.  Spread the other half of the apple chunks over the folded over dough.   Cover the other side of the dough over the apples and pinch to seal the edges.  

Don't forget to pinch to seal the edges!

7.  With a large, sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 uniform-size pieces.  The pieces will be messy, not uniform, and apples will spill out, which is okay.  Lay the dough chunks into the pan, doing your best to fit them in a single layer.

8.)  Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough appears puffy and has risen a generous 2" high, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

See how messy it is?!  That's alright... it will taste great after it bakes, and you will love those apple chunks spilling out.

9.)  Whisk together the egg and water. When the dough has risen, brush the top with the glaze.

10.)  Bake at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until the top is browned and the internal temperature of the bread reads 190 degrees. Remove from the oven and let the bread rest in the pan 5 minutes before loosening the sides. 

11.)  Drizzle with honey just before serving.  We love it with robust Buckwheat honey!

adapted from King Arthur Flour and A Beautiful Mess Blog