Canadian Poutine Challah

This bread is a little bit of a long process, but stick with it, it is so worth the wait!

So many of you wrote in suggesting that the next challah be a Poutine challah. I showed the suggestion to Noah and we were both perplexed on how to make this one a reality. The only thing I could think of was stuffing a challah with French fries, gravy, and cheese curds, and to be honest, stuffing a challah with French fries did not sound appetizing.

Then, it came to me! Potato bread was the perfect vehicle to stuff with gravy and cheese curds! It’s the perfect homage to Candian Poutine and makes for a delicious addition to any table!

Dough

1 Cup milk warmed

3 Teaspoons instant yeast

1/4 Cup granulated sugar

1 Large egg

1 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup mashed potatoes

1/4 Cup butter melted

4 Cups all purpose flour

Gravy

1 Tablespoon butter

3 Tablespoons flour

1 ½ Cups vegetable stock

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Filling

Cheese curds

Begin the process by boiling 1 Russet potato until fork tender. Mash the potato until mostly smooth. For this recipe a few chunks are fine. Place the potatoes aside and let cool.

For the next step, make the gravy by melting the butter in a saucepan. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat down to medium-low and whisk in all the flour until a thick paste forms. Pour in the veggie stock and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens. Cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the bread, heat the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter is melted. Pour into large mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Let cool for a few minutes.

Whisk in the egg and mashed potatoes. Slowly add the flour, one cup at a time. Once all the flour has been incorporated, turn onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

Grease a large bowl with spray oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and put in the oven to proof. (Make sure the oven is off!) Proof until the dough is doubled in size about 30-45 minutes.

Once proofed, cut the dough into 6 pieces. You will use three pieces to make each loaf. Take one piece of dough, roll into a log and flatten.

Spread 2 tablespoons of the gravy over the top and lay cheese curds on top. Pinch the dough together to form a log. (the dough will be very sticky so be careful!) Complete all other pieces in the same way.

Braid three strands into a loaf and place into a loaf pan. Complete with the other three strands.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let proof for another 20 minutes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Eat while it’s still warm!