Vanilla Challah

I wouldn't wish the last twenty four hours around here on anyone, no matter how cross I might be with them. Some people deal with life by drink, or Prozac-I bake. I bake, and I bake and I fill the freezer with breads because there is no better therapy than slamming dough against a countertop. Baking is one of the few things I can do on a couple hours sleep, which is a good thing because that was about all I got.

When I saw THIS recipe at The Fresh Loaf, I knew I had to try it. I bake a challah every Friday anyway, and what could bet better come Saturday morning than a slice of vanilla scented egg bread slathered with homemade jam? Nothing I can think of.

The funny thing is, it didn't smell all that strongly of vanilla to me, but rather it reminded me of Play Doh. That's not a bad scent, exactly, but not exactly what I was imagining wafting through the house. I had to laugh, because granola gives off the same smell in my oven-maybe it has something to do with the smell of baked Canola oil, as that seems to be the only common ingredient.

No matter, The boys enjoyed the bread just fine and no one thought it smelled like modeling clay. I did think it was less egg-y, and more cake-y than what I associate with challah, but it is always nice to branch out and try a new recipe. It was convenient that it called for oil rather than butter as I used the last of my butter baking a cake and didn't feel like making any with whipped cream (Five minutes with a mixer and I can't be bothered. Really, some days!).

Normally, I wouldn't make a round challah for regular old, non-holiday shabbos(hey, how 'bout that inter-faith family thing. Next week we'll be baking Lenten cakes)but that was how the directions were written and the first time through with a recipe, I like to follow the directions. If I made this again I'd add raisins and braid it. I might even go half bread flour. The one change I made was using vanilla sugar in the glaze because I had it on hand.

I popped one loaf in the freezer, and I will post when we thaw and eat it to report on how it holds up.

I can't say enough things about the Fresh Loaf site. Floyd has really created something special and the people who contribute are so wonderful. Unlike some cooking "communities" (If I lived in communities like those, I'd move) the people are kind, helpful and even the most outright stupid questions( contrary to the assertion that there are "no stupid questions", there actually are. Lots of them) are met with helpful responses that aren't cruel or condescending. So many people learned to bake their first decent loaves of bread there, myself included. I don't participate on the message boards because I'm not really into that, but I do read them and learn quite a bit. If you enjoy bread baking I encourage you to go have a look around-it is a great resource.