This is an intermediate level bread recipe for those with mixing and shaping experience. Full-inclusion bread doughs are stickier than white flour doughs, and this recipe is no exception. For that reason, it must be mixed in a stand mixer. At our bakery, we use Sonora Wheat for the sponge and Glenn Wheat for the final dough. Glenn is a hard red spring wheat which has a high gluten content. To be successful with this recipe, choose a hard red spring wheat for the final dough. The flour for the sponge can be any type of wheat. You may use the same wheat as in the final dough, or another kind for a more complex flavor.
This dough is sticky right after it’s mixed but becomes easier to work after spending a night in the fridge. To ensure the dough doesn’t overferment during the chilled bulk stage, we keep the dough quite cold. The starter and eggs will be refrigerator temp, but the flour and remaining ingredients will be room temperature. So, for this recipe, we use the coldest water possible to help bring the final dough temperature down. The easiest way to get the coldest water possible is to chill the water in your refrigerator. Make sure to put the water for both the starter and the final dough in tightly covered containers in your fridge a little while before you want to begin this recipe. If you want a richer flavor for your challah, you can swap the water in the starter for milk. Note that this is a deviation from the traditional Jewish challah which is pareve. We don’t recommend using milk for the final dough because the osmotolerant yeast dissolves best in water.
