Challah de Mazapán y Naranja

Pour the water along with the yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook. Mix with a small whisk or fork. Incorporate the orange blossom water and stir. Add the flour, 2 eggs, sugar, and salt.

Start mixing at medium speed. After a couple minutes, add the butter and continue mixing until the dough comes together around the hook, about 3-4 more minutes, scraping the sides if needed.

Lightly dust your counter with flour and scrape the dough from the mixing bowl. Using both hands, knead the dough in a stretch and pull action and then fold it, turn the dough a quarter turn clockwise, and repeat 3 more times. Sprinkle some flour into a bowl and add the stretched and folded dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm area of your kitchen, with no drafts, for an hour. The dough will have almost doubled in size.

While the dough rises, in a medium bowl, break the marzipan into small pieces and incorporate the sugar, pressing and mixing until well combined. Add the butter, using your fingers to mix and press into a paste. Lastly, add the flour and orange zest and mix to combine.

Punch down the risen dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6 pieces, as evenly as you can. One by one, roll out each of the pieces of dough into a long rectangle of about 15” by 4-5”. Spread ⅙ of the marzipan filling along an edge of the rectangle and then roll so the marzipan is encased in the dough. Pinch along the edges and ends so it is tightly sealed. You can roll it a few times to shape it. Repeat with remaining dough and marzipan.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Connect three of the dough and marzipan strands at one end to make a braid. Braid the strands and pinch and seal the strands at the end to close the braid. You can tuck both ends of the braid under to make them snug. Repeat with the other challah.

Place each challah on a prepared baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a warm area of your kitchen with no drafts for a couple hours. They should nearly double in size.

Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the lower and upper thirds.

In a small bowl, lightly beat an egg. Brush the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the loaves from lower to upper thirds, and vice versa, and continue baking for 10 more minutes until browned. Remove from the oven. Once they are cool enough to handle, place them on a serving plate. Serve still warm from the oven or leave covered until ready to eat.

Leftover challah will stay deliciously soft for about 5 days, if kept in an air tight container.