Challah (Braided Egg Bread)

**CHALLAH** -exported, but slightly modified, from Secrets of a Jewish Baker by George Greenstein. Made with a mixer that has dough hook. This could be modified to stir and knead via hand, too.

In mixing bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water to soften; stir gently to dissolve. Add sugar and let sit for 5-10 min to "ripen". Add the eggs, egg yolks, oil, 6 C. flour, and salt. Start mixer with dough hook at slow speed so that flour does not fly out of bowl. Mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing for 15 minutes. I run the mixer at low speed, for the most part, but alternately boost the speed up a bit. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning to coat, and cover with clean cloth until the dough has tripled in volume, or when indentation made with a finger pushed into center of dough does not recede. This usually is about 1 hour. I put a casserole dish of warm water on the bottom rack of the oven. The bowl of rising dough is on the rack above it. After dough has risen, punch it down, cut in half, cover and allow to rise 15 minutes. (I return it to the not yet turned on oven-with the warm water dish for this part). After the 15 minutes, punch down again and divide into 2 sections. From each section make 3 challah "ropes", rolling with the palms. Braid challah and brush with egg wash, covering completely but not allowing the excess eggs to drip into crevices. Transfer the bread to cornmeal-dusted baking sheets. Return to oven or other warm area(enclosed),covered, and allow to rise until doubled in size. If desired, re-eggwash top of braided loaf and dust with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven on the middle shelf until the bread is a rich mahogany color and the bottom has a hollow sound when tapped lightly with your finger tips. To test for doneness, press lightly between the braids on the highest part of the bread; it should be firm. Let cool on a wire rack.

** A tasty alternative to this is to make 2 smaller challahs and use a third batch of dough differently. Sometimes we use a rolling pin to flatten the dough. Then we sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over it. We roll it up, jellyroll style, and put in a bread loaf pan to bake at the same rate as the others. It is delicious, especially when it is warm and spread with butter! Enjoy and have a good shabbos!

JEWISH-FOOD digest 233