"Challah"
| Ingredients | | | 3 | pk | yeast | | | 1 1/3 | cup | water, warm (110o-115o) | | | 1 | tablespoon | granulated sugar | | | 1 | teaspoon | salt | | | 3 | tablespoon | butter, or margerine, softened | | | 3 | lg | eggs, lightly beaten | | | 6 | cup | flour, unbleached white | | | 1 | each | egg, well beaten with 1 tb of water | | | 1 | | poppy seeds | | | | | |
Directions:
| Add 1 Tablespoon sugar and yeast to warm water, stir well and 'proof'
the yeast (I'm old-fashioned and still do this). After the yeast
proofs, add the rest of the sugar, butter/margerine, 3 lightly beaten
eggs, and five cups flour. As your stir together, add salt (done this
way because salt can kill yeast if added directly). Beat ingredients
with a spoon, gradually adding flour, until dough is stiff. Knead on
board until dough is smooth and elastic (8-10mins).
Cover and let rise in warm place -- until about doubled in size
(1.5-2hrs).
Punch down and knead dough until all the bubbles are gone. Divide
into 6 parts, roll each part between your hands into a rope about 1 inch
in diameter. Braid 3 ropes each into 2 loaves. Place two braids
about 6 inches apart on a buttered/margerined cookie sheet, and allow to
raise in a warm place until almost doubled in size. Brush tops with
egg/water wash and sprinkle lightly with poppy seeds. Bake in
pre-heated 400o oven for 35-40 mins, or until loaves sound hollow when
tapped. Cool covered with a soft towel on racks.
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