Recipe 20: Cholla Loaf

The dread when I turned the page over in the book to see a plaited loaf, my heart sank! My thoughts went back to the Great British Bake Off and the drama of the 8 straits plaited loaf, I know this is only 3 but I can't even plait my hair let alone a dough! There are instructions on how to plait it but I'll get to that bit in a moment!

Oh, by the way, this bread is a traditional Jewish bread! I think it's eaten for special occasions.


A bit of different ingredients to the usual loaf of bread, the main one being eggs! Yes, the loaf had 2 eggs as well as flour, yeast, water, warm milk, unsalted butter and caster sugar so made a bit of a change!!
It starts with the usual of mixing with your hands in my lovely new bowl which I'm in love with! And then the usual kneading process, I had a bit of a hard time, I think maybe the eggs made the mixture a little more stiff to knead, my arms started to hurt!! Those muscles are still improving. Then leave to rise for a few hours.

So, time to plait the dough. I called my Mum out to help as unlike me, she can plait hair so she may have a better idea what to than me! So it says to plait the bread and then transfer to the baking tray but that seemed too much for me, I thought it might be easier just to plait it on the tray. But first you have to roll the dough out, which for some reason I had a hard time doing! It just didn't want to shape out for me and looking at the pictures now, they look a lot thicker than they should have been. I think if I made the pieces of dough thinner, it would have been a longer loaf.

Now, the book has the instructions inside tell you nice and clearly how it should be done but to tell the truth, it doesn't make it any easier! The first time isn't so bad, your like yes!! I've done it!! But it all goes downhill from there as it says repeat the process, I was so confused as the right strait which start with was now in the left side, etc! So does this mean the new strait in the right I begin with? Or do I use the original piece that was in the right side? Totally confused and I think I stared at it for a good 10 minutes and then another 10 minutes of me and my Mum debating for where we think it should go. We tried a few different ways with no luck but suddenly it just clicked! And all the straits went into the right place, phew!

Once you've finally done the plait, you brush with some egg over the top and leave to prove for a few hours, which I was a little nervous the plaits would come undone somehow, I know this is impossible but still! It looks so pretty when it's all plaited that I didn't want to put it in the oven but alas, I did!

Reviews? Mixed, I thought it tasted like cake, my Dad thought it was too doughy and my Mum couldn't eat all her slice, I had trouble slicing it so it was a huge lump! Haha. Alice liked it too! I would do this again, it looks impressive and once you've got the hang of the plait, it is easy! I can now officially say I can plait dough but I still can't plait my hair!

I was also meant to make Crumpets this weekend but I didn't realise I needed Crumpet rings to make these so now these have to wait till next week and then onto the favoured breads! Slight delay!