Challah recipe

Challah is a rich, sweet bread, used by Jews each Shabbat to celebrate the goodness of life.


For four loaves

Needed:
small bowl
large measuring cup
1/3 cup measuring spoon
1/2 cup measuring spoon
1 cup measuring cup
teaspoon
tablespoon
pastry brush
baking sheet
aluminum foil or plastic
(optional) sesame or poppy seeds
canola oil
salt
sugar
honey
Fleishman's (or some other brand) packages of yeast
eggs
flour (I use unbleached white)
clean cloth dishtowel


1. Prep work:
a. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
b. Turn your oven onto a low temp and after a few minutes, turn it off.
c. Take a big bowl. Pour a little bit of oil in and rub it all over the inside.

2. In a large measuring cup, put a dash of sugar and 1/3 cup warm water from the faucet. The water should be warm enough so that you can briefly put your hand under it -- not so hot that you can't, and not so cool that you can just leave your hand there. (Too cool and the yeast won't work; too hot and you will kill the yeast.)

Add two packages dry yeast to the warm water and sugar and stir well. Set aside for a few minutes.

3. In a small bowl, beat three eggs and set aside.

4. Pour 1/2 cup canola oil into the large bowl.

Add a dash of salt.

Add at least 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Add a good-size dollup of honey (about a tablespoon).

Mix it up well.

Add 1 cup boiling water to large bowl. Stir.

Add 1/2 cup cold water. Stir.


5. Add beaten eggs to large bowl. (You can either leave a little in the bowl for brushing on loaves just before baking, or you can just beat another egg to use for that.)

6. Hopefully, the container with yeast has been bubbling up. (If it didn't, REDO Step #2!) If it is nice and bubbly, add to large bowl.

7. Mix it all up. Add seven cups flour and mix well. You may need to add more flour. The dough should not be so sticky that you can't handle it.

8. Turn out on floured board or counter and knead for a few minutes.

9. Re-oil the large bowl. Put the dough back into the large bowl and turn it around so that it is oiled on all sides. Wet the dishtowel and wring it out, then cover the top of the bowl. Put the bowl in the oven and set the timer for one hour.

10. When the timer rings, oil two baking sheets. Take the bowl from the oven and knead the dough for a minute. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Braid into four loaves. Put the loaves onto the oiled baking sheets and leave them to rise again for 45 minutes.

11. Brush the loaves with beaten egg and bake around 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Check to see if they are brown on the botton; it's easy to let them get too brown!

12. Make sure the loaves are cool before wrapping them in aluminum foil or plastic.

Blessing:

Baruch atah Adonai, eloheynu melech ha'olam, hamotzi lechem min ha aretz. ("Lechem" is pronounced "le-hem" but with a little throaty sound...)

Blessed art thou, Lord our God, creator of the universe, for giving us the grain from the earth.

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It is traditional to tear, rather than cut, the first loaf of challah that is passed around on Shabbat. This is in reference to the prophecy of swords being turned into plowshares. But some people cut it.

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Refrigerate or freeze. Challah does not keep well if you don't. It makes great toast!