Easy Fig Jam Filled Challah
This is the quickest easiest way to make challah yet!
Ingredients
for the filling:
- 2 cups fresh figs
- juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sugar
for the bread:
- 1 bag of Pereg Challah Mix 2.2 lbs
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
for the topping:
- 1 egg beaten
- 1-2 tablespoons pearl sugar
Instructions
- Combine all of the filling ingredients in a saucepan. Mash with the back of a spoon and stir until a thick jam forms. Allow to cool completely. This step can be done the day before.
- In a large bowl or mixer with a dough hook, combine the Pereg Challah Mix, vanilla, and 2 ¼ cups water. Mix for about 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic
- Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Punch down dough and knead again for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 6 parts and roll each into a ball. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for another 15 minutes.
- Flatten out the balls into long snakes. Spoon the jam into the center and roll jelly-roll style to seal the jam inside the dough.
- Braid 3 together and shape into a round. Repeat for the second loaf.
- Line baking sheets with parchment. Place a pan of water (I used a 13x9 inch Pyrex) in the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 350.
- Place the bread on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
Notes
I used Pereg Best for Challah Flour but you can also use bread flour, a tablespoon of yeast and some sugar instead.
We were a little late making this to actually have on either Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur this year and now we are right into Sukkot but there is pretty much no wrong time to eat challah, am I right? We used Pereg Best for Challah Flour which the company was nice enough to send over a box of to try out and let me tell you– if you have been nervous about making challah this is your time. My husband, despite being the Jewish half of our family, had never made challah before and turned out this beautiful loaf in an afternoon. We gilded the lily a bit and made fresh fig jam from figs from our own backyard fig tree but you could use any sort of preserves and it would be just as tasty.
This looks delicious! I love that it makes two filled loaves…maybe on to give away. Congrats on still blogging. You were one of the first people to comment when my blog was new and the first whose blog isn’t defunct. Love that you are still trying new things and making beautiful food.
I got out of the habit of checking out other’s blogs, but now I know I need to check yours frequently.
Hi! It’s nice to “see” you too! Yup, still at it 17 years later! 🙂