Edith's Challah

Creating new things gets my adrenaline pumping, but for some reason baking cakes, breads cookies, etc. sort of intimidates the heck out of me. I have accepted the fact that I am not a baker nor a bread maker. How-e-ver I do want to learn how to make this challah, thus I asked sensei Edith for her famous recipe. This is one thing I have yet to make!

Edith's Challah Recipe

1½ Cup warm water

½ Cup vegetable oil

5 tsp dry yeast

¾ Cup sugar

Mix in bowl until yeast starts to bubble.

Add:

3 large eggs

7½ Cups all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

Knead in mixer until ingredients come together and form a ball. Knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Cover dough with clean cloth and let it rest for ½ hour. Punch down and knead to distribute air bubbles. Divide dough into three equal parts. Set one part aside. Combine the other two parts and divide into three equal parts. Make three strands and braid. Divide the dough set aside earlier into three equal parts, and make a braid long enough to go over the first braid and tuck its ends under it. Cover with cloth and let it rise till double in size.

Preheat oven at 350ºF once the oven is hot, brush again with egg wash sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds and bake for 20 minutes, rotate pan 180 degrees and bake an additional 20-30 minutes. Cool at least 1 hour.