The Challah Lady's Heavenly Challah

Ingredients

• 5 lbs bread flour (hi-gluten flour)
• 5 cups lukewarm water (use boiling water, let cool just until you can keep your finger in the water while counting to 10 )
• 2 ounces fresh yeast (3 packets.) or 6 3/4 teaspoons dry yeast (3 packets.)
• 3/4 cup sugar (I use 1 1/2 cups, much better)
• 2-3 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt

Directions

1. 1

   Dissolve yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a bowl until nice and bubbly.

2. 2

   Add rest of sugar and oil.

3. 3

   Add eggs and mix well.

4. 4

   Pour mixture into extra-large bowl. Add sifted flour.

5. 5

   Add salt.

6. 6

   I do not use bread machine so these are my direction for doing it by hand:.

7. 7

   Combine flour with rest of the ingredients with your extra flour close at hand as you will need it. Combine and combine by squeezing, turning the dough over and punching the dough down again and again. Add flour as needed until it feels smooth and not sticky at all. The dough should bounce back very quickly when you punch it down.( You will be kneading the dough for about 10-15 minutes). If the dough feels too dry because you added too much flour then tablespoon by tablespoon add a little oil and alternately with water if needed.

8. 8

   Oil your large bowl, place your dough inside and then oil the top of the dough as well (can use an oil spray) and place your dough in a warm spot in your kitchen. Cover the dough with a wet towel (not dripping wet) and wait until it has doubled in size.

9. 9

   Braid or shape into loaves.

10. 10

    Let rise until the loaves double in size.

11. 11

    Paint loaves with an egg-white and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.

12. 12

    Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until the challah are golden brown and the bottoms make a hollow noise when you give a little patting to them.