Bonnie's Challah
Ingredients
- 3 packets yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 12 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- 2 cups water
- 6 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Dissolve the 3 packets of yeast in the cup of warm water, adding about a teaspoon of sugar, Set aside but check occasionally to see if it is starting to develop a foam (that's good!).
- Mix all the dry ingredients together well (flour, salt, sugar).
- Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and add all the wet ingredients. Add the yeast mixture (only if it has foamed or is showing some activity--if it hasn't you need to do the yeast over again).
- Mix it all together, kneading it until it is smooth (no flour lumps).
- If it is too watery or too sticky, add flour in small amounts from time to time as you go. You should knead the dough for at least 5-6 minutes. I always like to work on the dough with oil on my hands--it makes it easier to handle.
- After the dough is kneaded, you need to set it aside, covered, and let it rise to about twice its original size (that takes a few hours--oh, by the way, make sure you are using a mixing bowl big enough to accommodate it!)
- After it rises, punch the dough back down to its original size, turn it over in the bowl and let it rise again. You can refrigerate it overnight where it will rise again.
- After the second rising, punch it down again and then it is ready to be shaped on a flour surface. Again, use oil or flour on your hands to minimize any stickiness.
- Brush the shaped dough lightly with egg and sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame seeds on the top.
- Bake at 350° F for about 45 minutes and the outside is a golden shade of brown (if you have shaped it while it is still cold from he refrigerator, either let it sit out for a while before you bake it or just add an extra 10 minutes or so to your baking time.
- Enjoy your challah--SHABBAT SHALOM!
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