Recipe - Sourdough Challah (Yudane Method)

Yields:  One 5 Strands Braided Challah

INGREDIENTS:

Yudane:

100 bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

100g boiling water

Stiff Levain (50% hydration):

80g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)

80g Japan High Gluten Flour

20g water 

Main Dough:

280g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

38g honey or brown sugar (I used honey)

7.5g (1 1/2 tsp) salt

105g eggs, whisked (about 2 large eggs)

15g water water 

50g vegetable oil (I used extra virgin coconut oil)

Egg Wash:  

1 egg + 1 tbsp water, whisked

Utensil:

1 baking tray lined with parchment paper.

METHOD:

1. Yudane (Day 1 @ 10.00 am):
1. Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
2. Cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.  I prepared in the morning and used in the evening.
3. Take out from the fridge 30 minutes before using to return to room temperature.
2. Stiff Levain (Day 1 @ 6.00 pm)
1. Mix all ingredients in a jar and cover.
2. Let it ferment in room temperature (28C - 30C) until tripled.  This one took about 3.5 hours. It depends how strong is your starter and your temperature ambient.
3. Main Dough (Day 1 @ 10.00 pm)
1. Put all ingredients (except oil), including all the stiff levain and all yudane dough into a bowl of stand mixer.
2. Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out.  Using the paddle attachment, mix for about 2 minutes or until all incorporated.  The dough is slightly dry compared with other soft bread dough.
3. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in coconut oil in 3 batches and knead until the coconut oil incorporate with the dough.  I used No.1 speed (KA) at the beginning and slowly change to No.2 - 3 speed (KA).  It took quite a while about 10 minutes for the oil to blend into the dough. Once the oil is well incorporated with the dough,  then continue kneading for another 4 - 6 minutes (approx.) or until reach window pane stage. I noticed that it is harder to achieve a very thin window pane  with Yudane method dough sometimes. It could be due to the gelatinization of its starch.  It is fine if your window pane is not very thin as long as you have kneaded the dough long enough. During the whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
4. 1st Proof (Day 1 @ 10.45 pm):
1. Shape the dough into a ball and place back in the same bowl,  cover with cling film or the lid.  Let the dough retard in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours in the fridge.  I retarded for 12 hours.
5. Shaping and 2nd Proofing (Day 2 @ 10.45 am)
1. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 5 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball.  Flatten with rolling pin. Roll each dough like a swiss roll into into a rope about 16.5" long. 
2. Please watch the video how to braid 5 strands challah.
3. Place 5 strands braided challah in a prepared baking tray. 
4. Brush with egg wash.
5. I made a mark with a pencil about 1.5 cm away from the original size of the dough on both sides.  Let it proof at a warm place until the dough rise double in size or when it reaches the pencil mark.   This one took approximately 4 hours at room temperature of 28C - 30C.
6. Baking (Day 2 @ 4.00 pm):
1. Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Brush with egg wash again.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Rotate the tray half way if necessary for evenly baked.
4. Remove challah from oven and let them cool on rack completely.

1. Feed starter - Feed ratio of 1:1:1, keep at room temperature (28C – 30C) and wait until tripled, around 3 – 4 hours.  Please feed your starter at the ratio that fit your schedule as long as the starter is at its peak when use.
2. Autolyse - Mix flour and water, stir until there is no more dry flour with a spatula.  Cover and leave for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature (28C - 30C).  
3. Levain - Wet your hand, add 60g sourdough to the dough and hand mixing until incorporated, about 3 - 4 minutes. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Sea Salt -  Dilute 6g salt into 10g water and Pour on top of the dough, use hand to mix in the sea salt water.  It takes about 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated.  Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
5. Split Dough, Bench Fold and Add In Mashed Pumpkin -
1. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.
2. White Dough - 
• Do a light fold on counter.  Return to the same bowl.  Cover and rest for about 30 minutes or until dough spreads.
3. Pumpkin Dough - 
• Spread mashed pumpkin on the dough and do a light fold on the counter.  Return to the same bowl.  Cover and rest for about 30 minutes or until dough spreads.
6. Lamination and Combining Both Dough -  Please watch the video.
1. Lightly mist the counter top with water and wet your hand.  Pull the white dough into a rectangle shape and spread the pumpkin dough on top. 
2. Pull from centre out to form a bigger rectangle shape. Fold the bottom up.  Put dough in a new dish (square pyrex dish).  The reason to use a square dish is because it is easier to judge how much  the dough has spread.  
3. Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.  
7. Coil Fold 1 -  At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible.  Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.  
8. Coil Fold 2 -  Fold the dough in the dish.  I decided this was the last coil fold as my dough was not very extensible.  Cover and rested for 1 hours and 45 minutes until my dough rose about 40 - 50% in size since you added the levain.  
9. Shaping - The total fermentation time is 5 hours and 45 minutes since I added in levain.  Flour the counter top.  Shape and transfer to a  flour banneton.  
10. Proofing - Proof for 10 - 15 minutes at ambient temperature 24 - 25 C.
11. Retard - Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours.  This bread is about 15 hours.
12. Baking -  
1. Preheat oven with the dutch oven (cast iron) at 250C for 30 minutes before baking.
2. Take bread dough out from the fridge, invert onto a parchment paper and scoring.(Slash the dough approximately 0.5 inches deep at 45-degree angle).  Immediately transfer the dough with the parchment paper to your preheated dutch oven.
3. Lower the temperature to 230C (fan-forced) and bake with cover on for 20 minutes.  Remove the cover and lower the temperature to 220C (fan-forced), continue bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
4. Remove bread from oven and dutch oven. Let it cool on rack completely before slicing.

1. Feed starter - Feed ratio of 1:1:1, keep at room temperature (28C – 30C) and wait until tripled, around 3 – 4 hours.  Please feed your starter at the ratio that fit your schedule as long as the starter is at its peak when use.
2. Autolyse - Mix flour and water, stir until there is no more dry flour with a spatula.  Cover and leave for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature (28C - 30C).  
3. Levain - Wet your hand, add 60g sourdough to the dough and hand mixing until incorporated, about 3 - 4 minutes. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Sea Salt -  Dilute 6g salt into 10g water and Pour on top of the dough, use hand to mix in the sea salt water.  It takes about 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated.  Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
5.  Bench Fold -  Do a light fold on counter.  Return to the same bowl.  Cover and rest for about 30 minutes or until dough spreads.
6. Lamination and Spread Mashed Pumpkin -
1. Lightly mist the counter top with water and wet your hand.  Pull the dough into a rectangle shape and pull from centre out to form a bigger rectangle shape.  
2. Spread the mashed pumpkin on the dough.
3. Pick up one edge and fold into the center.  Pick up other edge and fold into the center over first section.  Fold the top down half way.  Fold the bottom up.  Put dough in a new dish (square pyrex dish).  The reason to use a square dish is because it is easier to judge how much  the dough has spread.  
4. Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.  
7. Coil Fold 1 -  At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible.  Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.
8. Coil Fold 2 -  At this stage the dough still extensible but stronger compare with the dough  before the 1st coil fold.  Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.
9. Coil Fold 3 -  At this stage, the dough is quite strong and not so extensible and will be the last coil fold.  However, if the dough is still quite extensible and spread a lot, then you will need one or two more coil folds.   Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for 60 - 90 minutes or until dough rise 40 - 50% in size since you added the levain.  
10. Shaping - The total fermentation time is 5 hours and 30 minutes. Flour the counter top.  Shape and transfer to a  flour banneton.  
11. Proofing - Usually I left the dough proof for 10 minutes at ambient temperature 24 - 25C.  However, this dough risen quite a lot so I straight away put in the fridge.
12. Retard - Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours.  This bread is about 16 hours.
13. Baking -  
1. Preheat oven with the dutch oven (cast iron) at 250C for 30 minutes before baking.
2. Take bread dough out from the fridge, invert onto a parchment paper and scoring.(Slash the dough approximately 0.5 inches deep at 45-degree angle).  Immediately transfer the dough with the parchment paper to your preheated dutch oven.
3. Lower the temperature to 230C (fan-forced) and bake with cover on for 20 minutes.  Remove the cover and lower the temperature to 220C (fan-forced), continue bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
4. Remove bread from oven and dutch oven. Let it cool on rack completely before slicing.