Challahogs

I haven't made bread hedgehogs in a long while, so I thought I'd make a practice batch before the fairy party.  I couldn't remember what recipe I used in the past, so I tried a new one, for challah, from Completely Delicious. I played it safe and did not double the recipe. I get into all kinds of issues if there is math involved.

Challah is a very sweet traditional bread with a lot of honey or sugar, and eggs. It's delicious and very kid friendly. It's typically eaten on the Sabbath and holidays, but I don't think it's improper to eat it on other days. I suppose I should do some research on that before serving it on a Sunday. Hmmm...

You don't need a mixer with a dough hook, but it does speed things up when your mind is feeble and easily distracted, like mine.

At this point in the process, before the final rise, you can divide the dough into three parts and braid it, which gives the loaf structure. Or, you can make rolls.

I made the mistake of waiting until after the final rise to make cuts for hedgehogs and mice. This completely deflated the bread. Look at the beautiful rolls in the background. And the sorry, flat mice in the foreground. Yeasty fail.

I recommend making the snips and placing the features before the final rise. You can use any yeasted roll recipe, I just wanted to try the challah.

 Also, don't forget the egg wash. These plain challahogs didn't get their clear coat. They look sort of meh.

These guys got the egg wash, but really suffered from being cut after rising.

 Luckily, the flavor of the bread didn't suffer, though the consistency was a little less airy than I might have liked. Good thing it was just a test run.

 Challahogs make great turkey sandwiches, and are a good snack!