If you can find fresh elderflowers (it’s getting late in the season by now but you may find some around) do try making your own cordial. It’s honestly so easy. If you don’t have time — or inclination — it will be just as delicious with shop bought.
Ingredients
For the elderflower cordial:
20 heads of elderflower (in season from May-June)
1 litre of water
450g caster sugar
4 unwaxed lemons
5 tbsp local runny honey
You will also need fine muslin (or good quality kitchen roll)
For the challah:
1.5 kg plain flour (approximately)
360ml lukewarm water
120ml elderflower cordial (homemade or shop bought)
40g fresh yeast (or 1 tbsp active dried yeast)
2 eggs (plus one egg white)
1 tbsp salt
60ml sunflower oil
300g strawberries (chopped)
Bunch fresh mint (finely chopped)
Method
- For the cordial: bring the honey, sugar and water to the boil slowly in a large pan before adding the juice of 2 lemons and slices of the remaining lemons.
- Turn off the heat and place the elderflower heads downwards in the water (handle them delicately so as not to lose all the fragrant pollen) cover the pan and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
- Once infused, run the liquid through a sieve lined with a fine muslin (or good quality kitchen roll) until you are left with a clear cordial.
- Pour 120ml of cordial into a large bowl with the water and dissolve the yeast into it. Once bubbles start to appear on the surface of the mixture, pour in about 1/3 of the flour. Add 2 eggs the salt and sunflower oil. Get your hands into the dough and combine the mixture, adding flour gradually as you go, until you get a big ball of dough which doesn’t stick to your hands — you might not need all the flour.
- Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, adding a bit of flour if it gets too sticky again. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl covered in cling film to rise for about 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, knock it back. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a long, thin, flat shape, using a rolling pin. Then cut 4 long strips out of the dough. Line the centre of each with a row chopped strawberries and mint and pull the dough up around the sides of the filling and seal together using your fingers.
- Watch this video at for instructions on shaping the dough into a 4 strand round challah.
- Once shaped, leave the dough to rise again under a clean cloth or cling film. Once risen, brush the dough with egg white (for a light, matte finish) add some strawberries and mint to the top of the challah and bake in the bottom of the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.
Instagram: @challahmummy
First published in the JC June 6 2019
