A water roux keeps challah tender and fluffy

A good loaf of challah is tender, pillowy and slightly sweet, but homemade loaves tend to dry and stale quickly. To keep our challah tender and extend its shelf-life, we borrow the water roux technique known as tangzhong that’s used to make fluffy Japanese milk bread.

In this recipe from our cookbook “Milk Street Bakes,” the tangzhong increases the hydration level in the dough while keeping the mixture workable. Tangzhong is a mixture of flour and liquid cooked to a gel; it’s often referred to as a roux, though it does not contain any butter or oil and serves a different purpose than a classic roux. The gelatinized starch in tangzhong can hold on to more water than uncooked flour, so the dough is easy to handle despite the high hydration level. The loaf attains a high rise and a light, airy crumb and the baked bread keeps well.

Oil is the fat of choice in traditional challah. For more complex, nuanced flavor, extra-virgin olive oil is used instead of a flavorless neutral oil. To complement the fruity, peppery notes of the olive oil, golden raisins plumped in orange juice are mixed into the dough at the end of kneading.

Though we love the look of challah formed into an intricate six-strand braid or an impressively mounded crown, for ease, we make two simple braids and bake them in loaf pans. Well wrapped, the loaves will keep at room temperature for two or three days.

Don’t forget to drain the raisins before adding them to the dough. Also don’t cut into the challah while it’s still warm. With such a light, tender crumb, the bread slices more easily and has a better texture after cooling to room temperature.

Olive Oil Challah With Golden Raisins

Servings: Makes two 1¼-pound loaves

43 grams (⅓ cup), plus 607 grams (4⅔ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

155 grams (1 cup) golden raisins

¼ cup orange juice

3 large eggs, room temperature, plus 1 large egg, for brushing

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pans

63 grams (3 tablespoons) honey

2 teaspoons table salt

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast

In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 cup water and the 43 grams (1/2 cup) flour until smooth. Over medium, cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens (a silicone spatula drawn through the mixture leaves a trail) and bubbles slowly, 2 to 4 minutes; this is a “water roux.” Scrape the mixture into a stand mixer bowl, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly against the surface and cool until barely warm, at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the raisins and orange juice; bring to a simmer over medium, stirring, then remove from the heat. (Alternatively, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the raisins and juice; microwave on high until simmering, about 1 minute.) Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. To the cooled water roux, whisk in the 3 eggs. Whisk in the oil and honey. Add the remaining 607 grams flour, the salt and yeast, then attach the bowl and dough hook to the mixer.

Mix on low until a sticky, slightly elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl and push the dough off the hook. Drain the raisins in a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on them with a spoon to remove excess liquid. Add the raisins to the dough and mix on medium-low, scraping the bowl as needed, until the raisins are evenly distributed and the dough is tacky but not wet, about another 5 minutes. Detach the bowl from the mixer and use the spatula to scrape the bowl and gather the dough at the center.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1½ hours.

Meanwhile, brush two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with oil, then line each with an 8-by-14-inch piece of kitchen parchment, allowing the excess to overhang the long sides of the pan.

Lightly flour the counter and turn the dough out onto it. Using a bench scraper or chef’s knife, divide the dough in half; each piece should weigh about 650 grams (23 ounces).

Now divide each half into 3 equal pieces, for a total of 6 pieces; cover with a kitchen towel. Roll each portion back and forth against the counter to form a 12-inch rope; as you work, keep the previously formed ropes covered. Position 3 ropes perpendicular to the counter’s edge but parallel to each other. Firmly pinch together the far ends of the ropes.

Flour your fingers, then lift the right rope, cross it over the middle rope and lay it between the other two; adjust the spacing of the ropes as you go. Now cross the left rope over the new middle rope and lay it between the two. Repeat the braiding until you reach the ends of the ropes. Firmly pinch together the ends. Tuck the ends under the loaf and transfer the braid to a prepared loaf pan, compacting it as needed to fit.

Cover with a kitchen towel. Shape the second loaf in the same way and cover. Let rise at room temperature until the loaves have increased by half and the dough feels puffy but slowly springs back when gently poked with a finger, 1¼ to 1½ hours.

About 45 minutes into rising, heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg. When the loaves have risen by 50 percent, brush the tops with beaten egg. Place the pans in the oven, spaced several inches apart, and immediately reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.

Bake until the loaves are golden brown and the centers reach about 185 degrees to 190 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Using the parchment slings, lift the loaves from their pans, peel off the parchment and set them directly on the rack. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.