Five Spice Challah French Toast

How to make a flavorful french toast. The challah bread is made from scratch and the batter has my own mixture of five different spices.

For the Challah bread you will need:

4 1/4 to 5 cups all purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1 1/3 cups milk

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine(omit salt in this case)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 egg yolk (for brushing)

oil, butter, or spray oil for lining bowl

Equipment:

A hand or stand mixer (a good old fashioned wooden spoon works as well but will take much longer to mix)

A whisk

measuring spoons

measuring cups

A butter knife for leveling off flour

A large bowl

A small sauce pan

A towel (to cover bread while rising)

A basting brush

A liquid measuring cup

In a large bowl add two cups of the flour and the package of yeast. Mix together with whisk and set aside.

Add the butter, sugar, salt, and milk to a small sauce pan and heat on medium until butter is almost melted (around 120 degrees Fahrenheit). Whisk occasionally while heating to ensure ingredients dissolve and mix together well.

Add the milk mixture to the dry mix along with the eggs.

Beat on medium for 30 seconds, scraping down sides as you go.

Turn the beater on to high and continue to mix for 3 minutes. Scrap down sides as needed.

Taking a wooden spoon (or spatula), mix in as much of remaining flour from the recipe as you can.

When you have done this, turn dough out on to a floured surface.

Incorporating the recipe' s remaining flour as you go, knead the dough about 6 to 8 minutes until the dough bec9mes smooth, moderately stiff and elastic.

The best way to knead the dough is:

1. Grab the end of the dough farthest from you and pull it toward you, folding it over on itself.

2. Push ends of dough into eachother with fingers.

3. Turn dough 90° and repeat step one.

4. Repeat this process until finished.

Mold dough into a ball and place into a large bowl (at least twice the dough' s size) that has been sprayed with oil.

Turn the ball around once to coat it with the oil.

Put a dry kitchen towel over bowl and place in a warm place to rise at least one hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

After the hour has passed, bring the bowl with the dough in it back to the work area and take off towel.

Punch in the dough(this is the fun part) and put on a floured surface.

Cut the dough into three equal parts and shape into balls.

Place a towel over the dough and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll each ball of dough into ropes about 18 inches long

Pinch the ends of all three ropes together on one side.

Braid the ropes until you reach the other end.

Pinch the remaining bits of rope together and tuck the pinched ends under on each side.

Cover the braid with a towel and let rest 30 minutes.

Set the oven to 375°F.

Beat one egg yolk.

Uncover dough and place on baking sheet.

Using the basting brush wash yolk over the entire loaf of bread.

Do not allow egg to pool in the creases of the braid or it will cook when in the oven.

Put bread in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes depending on hiw hot your oven runs.

When the bread is a dark golden and sounds hollow when tapped, it is done.

Take bread out and allow it to cool completely.

Cut six 3/4 to 1 inch slices from the challah

For the french bread mixture you will need:

2/3 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pods anise

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (scant 1/4 tsp if using pre-ground nutmeg)

1 pinch of salt

Put egg mixture into a large pan.

Place a slice of the bread and put in the mixture and let soak about 30 seconds to a minute on each side.

Oil a large fry pan and set to medium heat.

Once heated, put French toast into the pan.

Cook the French toast about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (more or less time depending on how your stove functions.

Put the toast on a plate and add butter and powdered sugar to taste!