Bread Machine Challah

• 1 cup water (if you increase oil, decrease water by a similar amount).
• 1 teaspoon salt.
• 1 Tablespoon oil (some people use up to 1/3 cup--this gives a more cake-like bread).
• 1-2 Tablespoon honey (or sugar), depending on how sweet you like it.
• 2 eggs beaten. Reserve 1 Tablespoon for wash.
• 3 cups white flour. For a chewier texture, substitute up to 1 cup of "first clear flour" for an equal amount of white flour.
• 2 teaspoons yeast (some people have better results with 1 Tbs yeast and 1 and one half tsp salt).
• sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds and/or raisins

• Place all ingredients except 1 Tbs reserved eggs and the seeds or raisins in bread machine in recommended order on "rise only" or pizza dough cycle.

• After first rise, remove dough, and punch down. If dough is too sticky, covering your hands or the bread board with white flour or corn meal usually is enough to bring it to the right consistency. Don't make the dough too dry -- the challah will be tough.

• Roll the dough out into a long rope on a floured board. (If you like a sweet challah with raisins, add them now, working them into the dough as you roll it out.) Divide into three equal lengths. Place the three lengths side by side and seal the right ends together, using wet fingers if the dough is dry.

• Braid. This is done just like braiding hair. Turn the three ropes so that the sealed end is farthest from you and the ropes are extending towards you. Place the left rope over the center rope. Then place the right rope over the new center rope. Repeat until you've reached the end of the ropes.

• Seal the end with a moistened finger.

• Don't overwork the dough or the bread will be tough: if your first braid isn't beautiful, try again next week.

• Dust a board or pizza peel with flour and sesame and/or poppy seeds and place the braided dough on it. Wipe the dough with the reserved egg, using a brush or paper towel. Sprinkle with poppy and/or sesame seeds. Cover it with a tea towel and leave it to rise for 1 hour.

• Preheat oven (preferably with pizza stone) to 375.

• If you like your challah especially shiny, after dough has risen, gently wipe it with some more reserved egg, using a brush or a paper towel. Add additional poppy and/or sesame seeds if needed. Be careful not to deflate the dough.

• Using a plant sprayer or similar device, shpritz walls of oven with water. (Omit for a less crusty bread).

• Carefully place bread on pizza stone in preheated oven and bake 15 minutes at 375, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake another 15-25 minutes, until loaf is shiny and sounds hollow when tapped. (If you don't have a pizza stone, use a cookie sheet, but the bread won't be as crusty.) 30 minutes at 375 or even 400 gives a crisper, thicker crust.

• Remove and allow to cool on rack.

Dan's Challah

• 165 grams (3/4 cup) water.
• 1 Tablespoon salt.
• 1 Tablespoon oil.
• 1 Tablespoon honey.
• 3 eggs beaten.
• 550 grams (4 cups) white flour (for a chewier texture, subsitute up to 1 cup "first clear flour" for white).
• 1 teaspoon yeast.
• 1 egg yolk, beaten.
• sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds and/or raisins

• Place all ingredients except egg yolk and seeds in mixer bowl.
• Using kneading hook, mix at lowest speed 5 minutes.
• Dough should be form a sticky ball, with the bottom sticking to the mixing bowl. Add small amount of water if necessary to make it stickier.
• Cover bowl with towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

• Mix at lowest speed 4 minutes.
• Mix at next lowest speed 4 minutes.

• Oil a large glass mixing bowl.
• Place dough in bowl, form it into a ball, and flip upside down so that oiled side is up and seams are down.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2-3 hours, until doubled.

• Remove dough, and punch down. If dough is too sticky, covering your hands or the bread board with white flour or corn meal usually is enough to bring it to the right consistency. Don't make the dough too dry -- the challah will be tough.
• Roll the dough out into a long rope on a floured board. Divide into six equal lengths. Place the six lengths side by side and seal the right ends together, using wet fingers if the dough is dry.
• Braid.
  • Turn the six ropes so that the sealed end is farthest from you and the ropes are extending towards you.
  • Pull the right rope over all the others and up, like an upraised arm (on the left side).
  • Then take the left rope and do the reverse, so that you have a creature with 4 legs down and 2 (crossed) up.
  • Now take the right upraised arm and bring it down into the middle of the 4 down legs.
  • Pull the (new) left leg up to form a new right arm.
  • Bring the left upraised arm down to the middle of the 4 down legs
  • Bring the (new) right leg up to form a new left arm.
  • Repeat until you've reached the end of the ropes.
• Seal the end with a moistened finger.

• Dust a board or pizza peel with flour and sesame and/or poppy seeds and place the braided dough on it.
• Gently wipe the dough with the reseved egg yolk, using a brush or paper towel.
• Allow to air dry for 10 minutes, then again gently wipe the dough with the yolk.
• Sprinkle with poppy and/or sesame seeds.
• Cover it with a tea towel and leave it to rise for 1 hour, while preheating oven.

• Preheat oven with pizza stone to 500° F.

• Carefully place bread on pizza stone in preheated oven and bake 35 minutes at 350° F, until loaf is shiny and sounds hollow when tapped.
• Remove and allow to cool on rack.

Janet's more traditional Bread Machine recipe

• 1/2 C + 1 T and a bit more warm water
• 1-1/2 t sugar
• 1T yeast
• 3 C flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 C veg oil
• 2 T honey
• 1-1/2 t salt
• raisins

Put it all into the machine. When you take it out, punch down and let rise. Punch down again, roll into a square, add raisins, roll into a long tube, squeeze it out and twist. Let it rise again on a greased bakin sheet until it's big. Brush with raw egg, beaten. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 and bake until it sounds hollow. Cover with foil if top darkens too much.

"Varda's Best and Easiest Challah"

• Put into a bowl in the order listed:
  • 2 packages rapid rise yeast
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 7-8 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 cups hot water

• Mix together and knead either with machine or by hand. Dough should feel tacky for best consistency.
• Let rise in oiled bowl for 20-30 minutes.
• Shape into loaves and let rise 15-20 more minutes.
• Paint with egg mixed with a little water
• Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 23-26 minutes or until golden brown.

• E-mail me if you have any questions. Enjoy, Varda