Stuffed Apple Challah with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Stuffed Apple Challah with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Stuffed apple challah is generously sprinkled with a brown sugar cinnamon streusel topping.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Proofing2

Total Time3 15

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: apple pie challah, apple stuffed challah, cinnamon apple challah

Servings: challah

Calories: 2093kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Equipment

Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Apple Mixture

4 medium sized apples peeled and chopped into cubes
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whiskey (optional)
Pinch of Kosher salt

Challah

1 cup lukewarm water
1 ¼ ounce packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons honey
¼ cup vegetable or grapeseed oil + more for greasing bowl
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour + more for kneading
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Streusel Topping

4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
½ cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cinnamon Roasted Apples

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, vanilla (and whiskey, if using) and stir together. Add mixture to a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes until apples are just tender and you can stick a fork through it easily.
Once done, remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. (I would even recommend making this a day or few hours ahead of time and let place in refrigerator until ready.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and salt in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour mixture until evenly distributed and set aside.

Challah

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup warm water, yeast packet and sugar.
Mix lightly with a fork to get all the yeast in the water and set aside for about 15 minutes until it foams up.
In the same bowl, add eggs, oil and honey and whisk together.
Using a dough attachment on your mixer, begin mixing and gradually add flour and salt, about ½ cup at a time. Continue until everything is incorporate and dough is in a cohesive ball.
Turn the dough onto a very well floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth. Too see if the dough is ready, press your finger in and if the dough bounces back quickly, it's ready.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning so dough has a light layer of oil on all sides. Place a towel or plastic wrap over the bowl and let rise for about 1 hour -1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Punch the dough and divide dough into 2 balls, this will be your challot. 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 10-12 inches long, about 1-2 inches thick. Use a rolling pin to flatten the strand if needed.
Divide the apple mixture in half, for each challah. Then divide the halved apple mixture between the 3 strands of your first challah, draining any excess liquid so the apples are not too wet and seal the strand.
Braid a 3 strand braid and roll into a circle to make a round challah. Place challah on baking sheet and let rise for another 20 minutes. Repeat with the other challah.
Brush challot with egg wash and top with streusel topping.
Bake both challah for 40-45 minutes until cooked through. If topping begins to darken too fast, cover with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Notes

Make the roasted apples ahead of time so it has time to cool.

When filling challah, be sure to drain any excess liquid so the filling isn't wet.

You can also make the dough ahead of time, just let it rise in the fridge, anywhere from 8-24 hours ahead of time.

Since the challah has filling, it will take longer to bake than traditional challah, so keep an eye on it, but should take about 40-45 minutes.

If challah is getting too dark, cover with foil adn continue baking.

Nutrition