Challah Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 (1/2 ounce) envelopes dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled
• 6-7 cups flour
• 1 egg, beaten with
• 1 tablespoon milk (for glaze)
• 1-2 tablespoon poppy seed (optional) or sesame seed (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Combine sugar, yeast and salt in large bowl. Whisk in water, eggs and butter.

2. 2

   Add 3 cups flour and whisk until smooth, about 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, mix in enough remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, to form soft dough. Knead on floured surface until dough is satiny, about 10 minutes, kneading more if flour is sticky.

3. 3

   Grease large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl with towel. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled, about 1¼ hours.

4. 4

   Grease 2 large baking sheets. Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface until deflated.

5. 5

   Cut the dough in half. Cover both pieces with a towel and let them rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. Divide each half into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8” rope. Take 3 ropes and braid together, working from the middle to the ends. Pinch the ends together. Form 2 braids. Transfer to 2 greased pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled, about 45 minutes.

6. 6

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush dough with egg glaze and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 30-40 minutes. Immediately transfer to rack and cool.