Fantastic Challah Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
• If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking. Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
• Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.

Steps:

• Put all ingredients into a bread machine.
• Set to dough setting.
• take out dough and braid.
• brush with glaze
• sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• cook until done in an aproxamately 325 degree fahrenheit oven. Should be light golden on the top.
• Enjoy.

Steps:

• This recipe works best in a big mixer, but can be done by hand.
• I've never tried it in a bread machine.
• In a separate bowl, proof yeast by mixing with with 3/4 cup of warm water (follow temperature guide on package) and 1T sugar.
• It should double in size.
• While yeast is proofing, put dry ingredients into mixing bowl.
• Wait for the yeast to be ready to add eggs, oil, 1 C warm water, and the yeast mixture.
• Mix on lowest setting for about a minute then increase slightly to reccommended setting for bread.
• Mix for 10- 15 minutes adding flour if needed.
• Dough should be sticky, but pull away from sides of bowl.
• Leave dough in the same bowl to rise, and cover with a damp cloth.
• Keep it someplace warm, I like to run the dishwasher at the same time and put the bowl on top.
• Let it rise for 1 1/2- 2 hours, until double in size.
• When dough is doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead by hand a little.
• Oil 2 large loaf pans well, this bread tends to stick.
• divide the dough in half.
• You can braid it like traditional challah, or just form into a loaf shape and put it into the pan.
• To braid it divide each half into three pieces and roll each into a rope.
• Pinch the ends of three ropes together and alternate crossing the sides over the middle.
• Pinch the ends together and place in loaf pan.
• Brush the top with a beaten egg.
• You can also top with sesame or poppy seeds.
• Bake for 1/2- 3/4 hour at 350 degrees.
• Bread should be medium brown and should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Let cool on a cake rack.
• This challah freezes very well if wrapped tightly.
• It tastes great warm.