Give a holla for Challah!

Of all the breads that I make on a regular basis, Challah is the most popular with most of my friends and family. When I worked as a baker at the Italian restaurant in my hometown, we made Challah once a week - there was no other place to buy it in town, and there were some dedicated customers that would buy it from us every week.

Challah is a Jewish sweet egg bread, typically formed as a braid - the number of strands braided mean different things. I typically do a three strand braid, which traditionally symbolizes truth, peace, and justice.

More on the history of Challah can be found here:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/culture/2/Food/Ashkenazic_Cuisine/Germany/Challah.shtml

On to the recipe. This is another recipe I would usually mix by hand, but I've tried to adapt it to a stand mixer. It came out pretty well, although the dough ball pretty much maxed out the capacity of my mixer bowl.

2 Cups lukewarm water

3 tsp highly active yeast

1/4 Cup olive oil

1/4 Cup + 2 T granulated sugar

3 large eggs

8-9 Cups all purpose flour

1. Start with 2 cups lukewarm water in your mixer bowl.

2. Add the yeast, mix on low speed for 10 seconds. Let it rest for a few minutes until bubbly.

3. Add the oil, sugar, and eggs, mix on low speed 30 seconds until incorporated.

4. Add 3 - 3.5 Cups of the flour, mix on low speed until a thick batter is formed. (See photo)

5. Remove the paddle and attach the dough hook. Add 4 Cups flour and begin to knead on low speed.

6. Continue kneading and adding flour 1/4 Cup at a time until the dough loses its stickiness, cleans the bowl, and forms a somewhat firm ball. (See photo)

7. Lightly oil the bowl, turn the dough to coat, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until slightly less than doubled. (About 30-45 minutes, see photo)

8. Turn the risen dough out onto the counter and shape into a log for easy dividing. Divide into 6 equal pieces. (See photo)

9. Shape each piece into a smooth tight ball. See the 4 steps in photos below. Start by pushing the center of the ball down and pulling opposite sides up to meet on top.

10. Rotate the ball and repeat. Each time you rotate and repeat, pull a little less up so the pinched portion on top gets smaller and smaller. This stretches the other side out forming a smooth, tight ball.

11. Repeat to form all six balls.

12. Now, working with three balls at a time, roll the dough out, playdough style, into strands about two feet long, about one inch in diameter. (See photo)

13. Pinch one end of each strand together, and braid the three strands together. When you get to the end, pinch them together and tuck each end underneath. (See photo)

14. Place the shaped loaf on a pan (no greasing necessary) taking care to lay it straight. Repeat with the other loaf.

15. Prepare a simple egg wash by beating an egg in a bowl, and thoroughly brush the top of the loaf with the wash. Make sure to get all the crevices where the braids meet.

16. Sprinkle the loaf generously with poppy seeds. (See photo)

17. Do not set out to rise before baking. Immediately bake in a preheated 375 degree oven.

18. Spray your oven with water, set your timer for 5 minutes. Spray at 5 minutes, and 10 minutes without disturbing the loaves.

19. After spraying at 10 minutes, set the timer for 8 minutes. Rotate the loaves every 8 minutes until nicely browned. (See photo) Baking time will be about 30 minutes total.

20. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

Enjoy!

P.S. - If any of the bread lasts beyond the first day, Challah makes the most amazing French Toast you'll ever have...

Happy Baking!

Some basic ingredients	After the first flour addition
The final dough ball	Risen and ready to shape
Shape the dough into a log	Cut into six equal pieces
Forming a ball step 1	Step 2
Step 3	Step 4
The finished ball	Ready to roll
Rolled out	Braiding the loaf
Braided	Ready to top
Egg wash and poppy seeds	Out of the oven