Your guests will be suprised when they pull apart this Pull-Apart Sweet Surprise Challah! Perfect for the Purim seudah, this sticky challah is fun to make and to eat.
Tip: We used chocolate chips and halvah to fill the challah, but you can try different flavor combinations.
Pull-Apart Sweet Surprise Challah
Servings
7 Servings
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 4½- 5 cups all-purpose un-bleached flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs 2 egg yolks + 1 teaspoon water
- Colored sprinkles optional
- Thick sea salt optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, place yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.
- In a large bowl, or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1½ cups flour, salt, and sugar. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil. Mix thoroughly.
- Add another 1 cup of flour and eggs and mix until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.
- Add another 1½-2 cups of mixed flour, mixing thoroughly, then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead remaining ½ cup flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 5 minutes.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise 3 hours, punching down at least once, if possible.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut dough into approximately 7 balls, around 3.5-4 ounces in size. Roll each ball into flattened circle. Stuff with around 2 tablespoons filling of choice. Close dough up, pinching at the top to ensure filling doesn’t leak out. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or in a round cake pan. Fill each ball with different filling.
- In a small bowl beat 2 egg yolks with 1 teaspoon water.
- Brush egg wash liberally over challah. Allow to rise another 45-60 minutes. This will ensure a fluffy texture inside.
- Sprinkle with colored sprinkles and thick sea salt if desired. If adding sprinkles, do this right before baking to ensure the colors don’t run.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes.
- Recipe originally published in JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller Magazine Purim 2015 SUBSCRIBE NOW
Thank you! That is wonderful information. You will LOVE this article:
https://www.joyofkosher.com/2017/12/6-brilliant-cakes-with-evoo/
You can mix them into the dough, just make sure not to add too much.
Suggested fillings: a dollop of jam, marshmallows, nut butters, chocolate spread, chocolate chunks etc. You an even go savory and add in olives, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic and fresh herbs
Thank you!
Love the idea of promoting cooking with children. As an expert in oil purity, my only recommendation is to eliminate the vegetable oil as there is research that some of the chemicals from the extraction process for vegetable oil that are unhealthy to humans transfer to the oil. My suggestion would be to purchase a ‘delicate’ style extra virgin olive oil that smells like fresh leafy greens or fresh cut grass, and does not leave a greasy, pasty sensation in the mouth after swallowing a sip. Dolores Smith – The Olivar Corp – Canada
What are some other suggested fillings? If just using chocolate chips or raisins (no halvah) can they be mixed into the dough?
The author feels it really needs 3 hours to get the right consistency and not be too dense. If the shape is the same the baking time will be the same.
A 3-hour rising time seems a little excessive. I assume the instruction is to rise until doubled, yes? Also, if I wanted to make a regular loaf, I assume the baking time would be the same?
You can feel free to use raisins, whatever you prefer
Chocolate chips
thank you thought might be raisins
What’s the brownish bits on the inside in the separated left hand roll?