London is my favorite city on the face of this planet (sorry Chicago)! As you all know by now, if you’ve been reading my blog, I have British cousins and often like to pretend that I too am posh and British.
One of my favorite memories from my trips to London is surprising my cousin for her 21st birthday. Even though 21 doesn’t really have much significance in England because you can drink at 18, she had a lovely party in their house/backyard, complete with a mariachi band (see the picture below) and my favorite British drink of all time, the Porn Star Martini!
This “martini” is a mix of passion fruit, lime, and vodka, and is served with a shot of prosecco. They are super sugary and bright orange and if you have more than a couple, you will definitely feel it the next day!
3 Teaspoons instant yeast
⅓ Cup sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
¼ Cup butter/margarine (melted)
1 Cup passion fruit juice
1 Tablespoon prosecco
3-4 Cups flour
Zest of half a lime
Whisk eggs, salt, melted butter, sugar, juice, lime zest, prosecco, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl.
Add the flour one cup at a time to yeast mixture. Using a strong spatula to mix at the beginning and using your hands to mix once it gets too difficult with the spatula.
Once the dough is fully mixed, turn onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes. (If you don’t knead the dough well enough, the challah will not hold its shape when it is braided.)
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 45 minutes-1 hour.
Once proofed, turn the dough onto a floured surface and cut into 3 equal portions. Shape each of the three portions into a long rope. Using your palm, press the three ropes together at the top and begin to braid the dough. Once finished braiding, tuck each of the ends under to create a more finished/clean look. Do the same with the remaining three pieces of dough. Let proof for another 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating beat one egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the top of the loaves. Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes.
NOTES: Do not try to slice the bread right when it comes out of the oven. If you are storing the bread to eat later, make sure it is fully cooled before you put it into any kind of container or it will create condensation that will lead to mold.
