Chapter 10 – Challah Disaster 2023
"I am on the way home," Ziva replied to her husband's 'hello' on the phone. "Did you remember to make the Challah so that we can bake it when I get home?"
Tony was glad Ziva couldn't see his face, "Yep." He knew if she could see him, she would know he lied. Crap, he'd forgotten to make the dough and let it rise, shape the loaves, and have them ready to slip in the oven when Ziva called. The good thing was that she was planning to make a stop on the way home; he still had time to recover and get the bread ready.
"Good, I will see you in about ninety minutes." Ziva ended the call.
Tony rushed to the kitchen; Ziva left all the ingredients except the eggs on the counter next to the stand mixer. He'd read somewhere that the sugar is what made the yeast ferment, so he figured if he added a bit extra yeast and a bit extra sugar, the dough would rise faster. He mixed the ingredients and set the dough in a greased bowl to rise, covering it with a towel.
By the time he'd washed the mixer bowl, the dough hook and the measuring cups and spoons, the dough was pushing the towel upward. His plan had worked; the dough had taken less than half the normal time to rise! He glanced at the clock on the microwave; about thirty minutes until Ziva would be home.
He punched down the dough and divided it into six pieces to makes the ropes for braiding into loaves. Quick work produced two Challah loaves on the baking sheets, which he then covered with towels to let rise again. When Ziva walked in from the garage twenty-three minutes later, the loaves had risen to a nice size for baking. Score one for the save, Tony noted to self, as he pre-heated the oven. He brushed egg over the tops of the loaves.
The oven beeped to indicate it was at the desired preset temperature; Tony slid the two baking sheets into the oven. The loaves were larger than normal, but he was pleased he had been able to get the task done successfully. Ziva looked at the pans as he carried them to the oven.
"Nice work, how did you get them so big?"
Tony grinned, "DiNozzo secret. I aim to please! In forty minutes, plus cooling time, be prepared to have your mouth taste the best Challah ever." He set the timer for twenty minutes so he could apply the second egg wash to the braids.
Ziva placed the chicken and vegetable casserole in the convection oven to reheat the main course for the meal. The kids drifted into the kitchen with the smell of food. The twins set the table for the meal while LJ watched Tali carry beverages to each place. The oven timer beeped.
Tony opened the oven; the two loaves were nearly touching the top of the oven and the bottom of the upper rack, respectively. He carefully eased them out and brushed the tops with the remaining egg wash. Ziva raised an eyebrow at the size of the loaves but said nothing. She suspected that her husband had tried to speed up the yeast. Tony set the timer for another twenty minutes. Ziva stirred the casserole as the family waited for the food to finish cooking and heating.
The oven timer beeped; Tony opened the door to two huge loaves of Challah. He had to remove them carefully and then set the bread on cooling racks while the casserole finished reheating.
Ziva looked over at the bread; out of curiosity she tapped the tops. A hollow thud told her the bread was baked thoroughly. She wondered what Tony had done to make them rise so high. The convection oven beeped that the time was done for heating the main dish. Ziva removed it from the oven and set the dish on the hot pad on the table.
"Go wash your hands, please, while Abba slices the bread," she directed the children.
"Okay Ima," they chorused.
Tony walked back into the kitchen to slice the Challah. His face fell as he spied his creations. Each loaf had collapsed in the center while cooling; they pretty much looked like a drainage trench now. Ziva followed Tony and nearly laughed out loud at the expression on his face.
"I hope it's still edible," he whispered as he pulled the bread knife from the block. He sliced into a collapsed loaf, what bread there was seemed to be baked and when he tasted it, it tasted like Challah. "I think I can salvage it," he looked at Ziva sheepishly.
"What did you do?" she locked gazes with him.
"I… I… um… sorta forgot… and I used extra yeast and sugar to make it rise faster," he blurted out the details and waited for the stinging comment from his better half.
Ziva smirked, "I would bet my pay that you will not do that again."
"Nope…. I guess I'll have to explain it to the kids, huh?"
"This is all on you, my little hairy butt," she laughed as she returned to the dining room where the kids were anticipating their dinner.