No nonsense, just the recipe. Here it is:

Makes 2 large loaves

Ingredients:
* 2 packets of dry yeast (instant is fine) or 4.5 teaspoons
* 2 C  warm water
* 1/4 C sugar
* 1/4 C vegetable oil
* 4 tsp salt
* 3 room temperature eggs slightly beaten
* 4 TBS honey (optional)
* 7 1/2 C flour
* Eggwash: 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
* Poppy seeds (optional)

Directions:
* Whisk yeast and water well. Make it frothy.
* Add sugar, oil, salt and eggs and whisk well again. Make it frothy.
* Add 3 C of the flour and whisk well until there are no lumps. Here is where I add a bit of honey sometimes if I have some (about 4 TBS). Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. It should bubble a bit.
* After the 5 minutes, gradually mix in the rest of the flour with a spatula.
* Drop mixture onto a dusted counter top and begin to knead dough for 10 minutes (I use this time to pray for the ones who will eat the bread. Traditionally, I do not think it is Challah bread unless it has been prayed over.)
* Dough may be sticky at first, but it should smooth up after a couple of minutes. If by 10 minutes it is still sticky, add a small amount of flour and knead a bit more. Same if it is crumbly, add very small amounts of water and knead a bit more.
* Form dough into a ball and let rise in large, oiled bowl for 1.5 hours. Cover bowl with clean towel and place in a warm area.
* Divide dough in half. Then divide each half into three equal parts. Roll out thick, long strands with each part and make into a braid. Tuck in ends.
* Let rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. Cover braided loaves with a clean towel.
* Brush with egg wash
* Sprinkle poppy seeds if you like
*Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes

Some ideas:
* You can also not braid this bread and make small domes for an awesome soup bowl instead.
* When you divide the dough in half, you can freeze the other half in a ziplock bag then thaw and resume to next step at a later time.

Enjoy!

#bread #recipe #challah #love #fromscratch #homemade