What would you stuff inside of challah? Well if you asked me, the first answer that I would blurt out would be some of my favorite ingredients. Sweet cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic cloves and salty feta cheese. As you cut through the challah, pops of red peek out and if you're lucky to get the slice with roasted garlic, that's a win in my book, Speaking of Book, here is my latest Mediterranean cookbook.
With the abundance of cherry tomatoes I've been hoarding, a savory tomato stuffed challah was certainly on my list of "crazy things to do". I've never stuffed a challah before so this whole recipe was a combination of a whim experiment and selfishness, because...all things tomatoes..always!
I have to admit this turned out to be a gorgeous, bread. During baking, the seam that closed the tomatoes slightly opened up, exposing a huge head of roasted garlic and red cherry tomato. I love how beautifully rustic the bread turned out to be. This recipe makes 2 large loaves and I one stuffed with roasted tomatoes and the other I stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes.
This is what the challah looks like on the inside..gorgeous, isn't it? As you braid the bread, the stuffing becomes intertwined and every piece you cut and each bite will have a stunning array of savory tomatoes and herbs.
And really...the possibilities are endless. If you don't like tomatoes (and how can we be friends?) then how about just fresh herbs and cheese? I also have sweet stuffed ideas in my head...like a play on a cinnamon roll with brown sugar and pecans! Wouldn't that be lovely for Thanksgiving?
What would you stuff your challah with?
Method:
1) In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup warm water, yeast and sugar. Mix lightly with a fork to get all the yeast in the water and set aside for about 15 minutes. It should begin to foam up and you should see little bubbles.
2) Next, add eggs, oil and honey and whisk together.
3) Using a dough attachment on your mixer, gradually add sifted flour and salt, about ½ cup at a time with the mixer on low. Continue to mix until everything is incorporated. The dough should begin to pull away from the bowl and come to 1 large ball of dough.
4) Turn the dough onto a very well floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. You can use your finger to see if it's ready. Press your finger in and if the dough bounces back quickly, it's ready.
5) In a large bowl, pour a bit of oil in and place your dough ball in the bowl. Turn it around so the entire dough is covered with a thin layer of oil. Cover with a clean towel and place bowl in a warm spot. (for me, it was my oven). Allow to rest and rise for 1 ½hours until doubled in size.
6) When dough is ready, it should have doubled in size. Punch the dough down and knead a bit to soften. Divide dough into 2 balls, this will be your challahs. Cover 1 ball of dough as you work with the other.
7) Divide dough into 3 pieces, this will be your braid strands.. Take 1 of the strands and roll making a long snake, about 15 inches long, but it should be thick enough to stuff, about 1-2inches thick. Use a rolling pin to flatten the strand.
8) Next use a teaspoon to fill the strand. Don't overfill, leaving the ends along. Bring the strand together, pinching with your fingers and making sure no filling peeks out (but it's ok it some does). Once strands are sealed, gently roll the strands and begin breading.
9) Line 3 strands together and pinch at 1 end. Braid a 3-sgrand bread and pinch the bottom end together.
10) Place on baking sheet and cover challah with a towel. Allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
11) When done, Brush challahs with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly chopped herbs.
12) Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes then bring the temperature down to 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
13) Allow to cool before cutting.
More great Challah recipes:
Cardamom Date and Rosewater Challah
Round Fig Challah for Rosh Hashanah
Savory Tomato Stuffed Challah Bread
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
Challah
- 4 cups all purpose flour + more for kneading sifted
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 packet yeast ¼oz
- 1 Tb sugar
- 2 Tb honey
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup vegetable
- 2 eggs + 1 yolk save white for egg wash
- Coarse sea salt + freshly chopped herbs for garnishing challah
Roasted Tomato Filling
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4-5 garlic cloves peel removed
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup feta crumbled
- Fresh herbs basil, rosemary, oregano, etc, chopped finely
Sun-dried Tomato Filling
- 1 cup feta crumbled,
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
- Fresh herbs basil, rosemary, oregano, etc, chopped finely
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup warm water, yeast and sugar. Mix lightly with a fork to get all the yeast in the water and set aside for about 15 minutes. It should begin to foam up and you should see little bubbles.
- Next, add eggs, oil and honey and whisk together.
- Using a dough attachment on your mixer, gradually add sifted flour and salt, about ½ cup at a time with the mixer on low. Continue to mix until everything is incorporated. The dough should begin to pull away from the bowl and come to 1 large ball of dough.
- Turn the dough onto a very well floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. You can use your finger to see if it's ready. Press your finger in and if the dough bounces back quickly, it's ready.
- In a large bowl, pour a bit of oil in and place your dough ball in the bowl. Turn it around so the entire dough is covered with a thin layer of oil. Cover with a clean towel and place bowl in a warm spot. (for me, it was my oven). Allow to rest and rise for 1 ½hours until doubled in size.
- When dough is ready, it should have doubled in size. Punch the dough down and knead a bit to soften. Divide dough into 2 balls, this will be your challahs. Cover 1 ball of dough as you work with the other.
- Divide dough into 3 pieces, this will be your braid strands.. Take 1 of the strands and roll making a long snake, about 15 inches long, but it should be thick enough to stuff, about 1-2inches thick. Use a rolling pin to flatten the strand.
- Next use a teaspoon to fill the strand. Don't overfill, leaving the ends along. Bring the strand together, pinching with your fingers and making sure no filling peeks out (but it's ok it some does). Once strands are sealed, gently roll the strands and begin breading.
- Line 3 strands together and pinch at 1 end. Braid a 3-sgrand bread and pinch the bottom end together.
- Place on baking sheet and cover challah with a towel. Allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
- When done, Brush challahs with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly chopped herbs.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool before cutting.
Challah Filling
- In a baking dish, toss together the cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and herbs until well coasted. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes until tomatoes begin to blister and garlic is soft. Allow to cool and add crumbled feta and fresh herbs.
- For the sun-dried tomato challah, just mix those ingredients together. Taste for seasoning.
Notes
Nutrition
darcy says
Samantha . The high quality photos are a great reference for the steps in the process. The only negative thing is they create uncontrollable drooling and stomach growling! I'm not so sure if being able to smell and taste it while looking at it on screen is a good thing or just a tease hahaha.
mr p says
Hello Samantha. I just stumbled across your site and appreciate the fact you deal with followers personally. Looking forward to trying some of the great recipes starting with the tomato stuffed bread!
Darcy
Samantha says
Hi Darcy! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! It's comments like yours that make me excited to share my recipes! Hope you try the challah..I have some "sweet" stuffing ideas that I may do for the upcoming holidays too!
mr p says
Samantha, the fact you replied is most kind. Today you posted the kale and chickpea salad so if all works out this weekend it will be the stuffed challah and the kale salad, unless of course I can't wait that long! Samantha believe it or not there are many of 'us' out there that appreciate easy sites like this that provide inspirational and beneficial recipes. I have recently gone through the process of helping a friend [right from from day one of the dreaded diagnosis] through breast cancer. At the beginning I said to myself "sure I'll do that, I'll still be able to fit my life in as well". Boy was I wrong. I attended every appointment from drs, oncologists, surgeons, every scan, xray and every chemo session the finally ending with the surgery 2 weeks ago. Along the way besides keeping her business running I also prepared every meal & now after 7 months I'm exahausted but at least she's on the slow road to recovery although radiation and reconstruction is still ahead. My heart goes to all females that must endure that horrible battle. Our local Walk for Breast Cancer is this weekend - still too soon for her to participate but not spectate - I'll treat her with the bread and salad as a reward after. Looking forward. Cheers and many thanks! Darcy
Samantha says
I think it is wonderful that she has a good and trusted friend like you! Please let me know if you have any questions with the challah and kale salad! The challah takes a bit of time (for rising, etc). Also, feel free to email me personally if you'd like or need to "chat".. FerraroKitchen@gmail.com
Susie says
I've been waiting for you to post this recipe and jumped right on it. 🙂 I added roasted garlic cloves to my sundried tomato & feta mixture because I had just roasted a few bulbs for marinara - I think it was a good move. 🙂 I baked both breads today. We'll enjoy one tonight, and am hoping the other is still tasty tomorrow. Can you recommend a good way to "preserve" it so it stays as fresh as possible? I'm thinking a loose wrap of Saran at room temp, then a quick warm up in a hot oven right before serving. What do you think?
Thanks so much for the amazing recipe!
Samantha says
Yayyyy so glad you made them!!! Amazing..right??? We enjoyed them for the next few days...just put it in a zip lock on the counter top and it tasted perfect!
Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat says
These are so gorgeous! You look like a challah pro for sure.