Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider,2 apples,1 tablespoon Dried/instant Yeast,2 Eggs,17 ounces All-purpose Flour (about 4 cups, but it’s best to weigh it),1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon,1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon,1 teaspoon Orange Zest,1 cup powdered sugar,1/4 cup Runny Honey,1 1/2 teaspoons Salt,1/4 cup Sugar,1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract,7 tablespoons Vegetable Oil,1/2 cup (4 oz) Water, lukewarm
Instructions:
- Mix the warm (not hot) water with the oil, honey and yeast. Allow it to foam for 10 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients for the dough.
- Mix and then knead them, using a mixer with a bread hook, or by hand, until you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough (about 8-10 minutes).
- Put the dough in a oiled bowl and let it rise, covered, for 2 hours or until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in size
- Lightly grease/butter a 9inch round cake pan that’s at least 2inch deep (or grease a 9inch or 10inch springform pan).Toss the apple chunks with the sugar, cinnamon and rum.Gently deflate the dough, transfer it to a lightly greased work surface, and flatte n it into a rough rectangle, about 8 x 10 inches.
- Spread half the apple chunks in the center of the dough (see remarks for details).Fold a short edge of the dough over the apple in order to cover it, patting firmly to seal the apples and spread the dough a bit.
- Spread the remaining apple atop the folded-over dough.Cover the apples with the other side of the dough, again patting firmly (Basically, you’ve folded the dough like a letter, enclosing the apples inside.).Take a long knife and cut the apple-filled dough into 16 pieces.
- Cut in half, then each half in halves, etc … (This will be very, VERY messy; the dough is slippery, apples will fall out, sugar syrup will ooze… it’s not pretty. Don’t worry, and don’t stress about making all the pieces the same size).
- Lay the dough chunks into the pan (Crowd them so that they all fit in a single tight layer – barely. Lots of apple chunks will fall out during this process; just tuck them in among the dough pieces, or simply spread them on top.).Cover the challah gently with lightly greased plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise for about 1- 1 1/2 hours, until it’s a generous 2inches high (It should just crest the rim of a 9inch round cake pan). Twenty minutes before the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325 F.
- Place the bread in the lower third of the oven.
- Bake it for 55 minutes, or until the top is at least light golden brown all over and has no white spots.
- Remove the challah from the oven, and after 5 minutes loosen the edges and carefully transfer it to a rack.
- Let cool completely. Then whisk together the cider and powdered sugar and brush it over the top–allowing it to drizzle down the sides.
