Challah Bread (Houston, Sugar Land, Kirby: home, to buy, roofing)

[Redrover]

I absolutely love good Jewish Challah bread and used to get it at the Three Brothers Bakery in Sugar Land. But now that they have closed that location does anyone know of another bakery (Jewish or otherwise) on the west side of Houston that makes really good Challah?

[Ellen Pitts]

I don't know but Challah is not difficult to make. Here's my recipe:

3c bread flour
4TBSP sugar
3 TBSP veg oil
1.5 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 egg

1- Combine yeast with sugar and let rest 15 minutes. It should be bubbly if the yeast is good. (This is called proofing. I use Red Star yeast which has never let me down).
2- Add all ingredients except flour. Combine well.
3- Work in flour 1 cup at a time. Mix until well combined. The dough is pretty sticky.
4- Let rise, covered, until double. About an hour.
5-Punch down dough. Oil your hands to keep the dough from sticking and shape into three long sections. Then braid.
6- Let rise, covered with a towel, about 30 minutes and bake in preheated 350* oven. I dust the loaves (I always double and make two) with flour to keep from sticking to the towel when rising.

[testmo]

you could go to the real three brothers bakery. its not located in sugar land though

[DrLizardo]

Whole Foods. They make Challah bread and rolls.

[Redrover]

Thanks to all who responded. Unfortunately Pegotty, I have never had much luck making my own yeast breads. I can never seem to get the dough to rise enough. Since my original post I have located a bakery a little closer to me than the original Three Brothers one, it is Stone Mill Bakery (a location for me on Voss, another on Kirby) and they are holding two loaves for me as Friday is the only day they bake challah and I can't get there today. I have not tried Whole Foods however and I will try them next. Thanks to all.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by DrLizardo

Whole Foods. They make Challah bread and rolls.

I don't like Challah from Whole Foods. The crumb is just too dense - I enjoy the "fluffy" consistency better.
You can get a great Challah at Fiesta. I am not sure about other locations, but I get mine from the one on Mason Rd.
You can get it plain ( blah) or with raisins, and sometimes they have it with cranberries
Cheaper than at Whole Foods too...

HEB superstore ( Bunkers Hill ) and Central Market sells it too, but I like it better from Fiesta.

[DrLizardo]

Originally Posted by elnina

I don't like Challah from Whole Foods. The crumb is just too dense - I enjoy the "fluffy" consistency better.

Must be a personal taste kind of thing, because I've never been crazy about most of the stuff from Fiesta's bakeries, but love most of WF's breads.

Not being Jewish I have no idea if there is a certain taste or other characteristic that makes Challah authentic - or if it's one of those things that you like the kind that you had when you were a kid. It's not my favorite bread, but my family loved it when I first brought it home from WF and they demand it regularly.

Originally Posted by elnina

Cheaper than at Whole Foods too...

No doubt. My local WF is closer than driving in to go to Central Market. Convenience, their excellent fish market, and the Rustic Italian bread are the only reasons I go there. Not that I don't find some other things to buy once I get there, but 98% of what I really need/want can come at cheaper prices from Wal Mart, HEB, or even Target.