Yield: 1 large challah

Prep time: 45 minutes

Level: Professional

Ingredients:

Dough:
3 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons dry yeast
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup olive oil
1 container plain, full-fat yogurt
¼ – ½ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons salt

Filling:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 package Tnuva Edam cheese slices, cut into tiny pieces
2 slices Tnuva Hickory-Smoked Edam, cut into tiny pieces
1 ounce Tnuva Crumbled Sheet Feta

For brushing the challah:
1 beaten egg
4 tablespoons Tnuva butter, melted or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup fresh rosemary

Instructions:

1. Prepare the dough: Put the flour, yeast and sugar in a mixer bowl and mix well. Add the oil and the yogurt and knead with the dough hook just until incorporated. Add ¼ cup water and continue to knead until a ball is formed. Add more water, if necessary. Add the salt and knead for 9 minutes until dough is elastic and smooth. (If the dough is sticky, add another tablespoon of flour. If it is dry, add more water, a teaspoon at a time.) Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic. Put in a warm place and let rise until double in bulk.

2. Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and the crushed garlic. In another bowl, combine the three cheeses.

3. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Divide the dough into three equal parts. From one part, form large balls (about 2 ounces each); from the second part form medium-sized balls (about 1 ounce each); and from the third part, small balls (about half an ounce each).

4. Take a ball and flatten it on the palm of your hand. Spread about ½ teaspoon of the oil-garlic mixture and then add a spoonful of the cheese mixture. Close the ball around the cheese. Repeat with all the different sized balls. Arrange the balls, mixing up all the sizes on the baking pan, as shown. Place them about 1/8” apart so that when they rise, they will be touching. Cover with a towel and let rise for 20-40 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375 ⁰F. Brush the dough with beaten egg. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until brown.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the melted butter or olive oil together with the crushed garlic. As soon as the challah comes out of the oven, brush with a generous amount of garlic butter/oil. Scatter rosemary on top and serve.