Challah with Fresh Eggs from the Farm!

Happy Chickens make delicious eggs:

These delicious eggs, available at the greenmarket in New York City's Union Square from Tello's Green Farm, also make delicious Challah:
I split a dozen of these eggs with a friend every week as part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. In these programs, groups pay a farmer up front for a share of the season's harvest so that the farmer has the resources to buy seed, machinery and whatever else they may need to keep the farm running. We also get a share of vegetables and in a few weeks, fruit!

The dough made of these eggs seemed a little brighter yellow to me than the dough of previous Challah I've made:

Once it was kneaded, I set it to rise:

And a few hours later, it was ready for shaping:

I split the dough into four portions this time...

to make a four-braid. Even when I've made a recipe before, it is fun to try something new with it:

The resulting rich bread benefited greatly from the fresh eggs!

Challah

I've always really liked Challah, so I was delighted to find a recipe for it in my trusty "Bread Baker's Apprentice." I was interested in the challenge of shaping this loaf properly and I'll be attempting some more challenging shapings in the future:

This is a richer bread than some I've made - there is a bit more sugar in the dough, and 3 eggs. Here's the dough before any kneading:

And after kneading, ready for the first rise. You can already see a little bit of condensation on the plastic wrap even though I've only left the dough as long as it takes me to grab my camera. The condensation won't gather, really. It is just evidence that the yeast is working:


After rising, the dough split into 6 small balls ready to be shaped and braided:
And the loaves after braiding and a final rise, right before they went into the oven.


This bread is so nice for toasting, sandwiches and alongside soup that I think I'll be making it again soon.