braided challah

This is one of the first blog recipes I ever tried. Making the bread is a multiple hour process (5+ hours, when you factor in slow-rising dough), but the result is so tasty! If you manage to keep some around for a few extra days, use the partially dried out bread for French toast. (If you need pictures, check out the original posting. There are many shots of the bread-making process.)

BRAIDED CHALLAH (makes two loaves)
from Joan Nathan’s “My Favorite Challah,” The New York Times via Pete Bakes!

1 ½ Tbsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp plus ½ cup sugar
½cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
5 eggs
1 Tbsp salt
8 ½ cups flour

DISSOLVE yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar in 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water. Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, along with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading.

TURN dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place dough in a well greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for one hour. Another trick is to warm the oven to about 150 F as you are mixing the dough, turn off the oven when you are ready for the rise, and place the bowl in the open warmed oven. After dough has about doubled, punch it down, cover and let rise for another half hour in a warm place. Punch down again.

BRAID the dough into two loaves of your desired shape. Tuck the ends under. Place on a baking sheet, covered with parchment paper. Beat remaining egg and brush it on the loaves. Allow to rise for another hour and brush with egg wash again. Bake at 375°F for 35-50 minutes. The loaves should be golden.

(To create steam and help keep the loaves from drying out, put water in an oven proof bowl at the bottom of the oven as the bread bakes.)