Since 1966, Zomick’s Kosher Bakery is famous for its delicious Zomisk’s Challah Bread. When the Challah Bread demand went through the roof, they decided to reinvent the basic receipt of the Zomick’s Challah, by stuffing the bread with meat.
They considered that stuffing it with ground beef, seems messy, and stuffing it with chicken seems so dry. Then, the founder of the bakery thought of the North American classic deli roll. A dish that he grew up with and which he finds both disgusting and delicious. And the idea for this crazy new Zomick’s challah began to take shape.
Zomick’s recommends getting freshly sliced pastrami if you have a local butcher as an option. They also recommend a thin cut. Thick-cut pastrami will not result in the same consistency.
Also, they suggest making sure not to spread the Russian dressing on too thick. If so, you could end up with leaky challah.
Ingredients:
5 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
½ Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp onion powder
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 eggs plus one egg yolk
1/8-1/4 lb thinly sliced pastrami
3 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp mayo
Poppy seeds
Dried minced onion
Thick sea salt (optional)
Directions:
Dissolve the yeast by placing yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir just once or twice gently. Let it sit for around 10 minutes until it becomes foamy on top.
Mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, onion powder, and 1/2 cup sugar, in a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Add to flour mixture along with oil, after the water-yeast mixture has become foamy and mix thoroughly.
Add another cup of flour and 2 eggs until smooth (save extra egg yolk for later). If you are using a stand mixer switch it to the dough hook attachment.
Add another 1 1/2 cups flour. Then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead the remaining flour into the dough. Continue to knead for around 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover it with a damp towel. Allow it to rise for 3-4 hours.
Roll out the dough using a rolling pin until it is about ½ inch thick after the dough has risen. Mix ketchup and mayo in a small bowl. Spread a thin layer all over the dough.
Lay pastrami down in a single layer overlapping pieces only slightly.
Start rolling up the dough towards you by working quickly. Try and keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Pinch the end when you finish.
By snaking the dough around and around in a circle around itself, create a pinwheel-shaped-challah.
When finished, tuck the end under the challah neatly and pinch lightly. This doesn’t have to be perfect – remember, as long as it tastes good, almost no one will care what it looks like.
Allow challah to rise another hour. Zomick’s points out that extra rise will ensure fluffy challah.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the challah with beaten egg yolk. Sprinkle it with poppy seeds, dried onion, and a touch of thick sea salt (optional). Bake the challah for 27-30 minutes, until golden brown is created on the top.
Now you have the recipe for this delicious Zomick’s Challah Bread, so you can start preparing it. However, if you feel lazy about getting into the kitchen, you can order this bread online.
More recipes from Zomick’s you can find on this website.