instructions

1. mixing bowl → ¼ cup lukewarm water
   + 2 ¼ teaspoons/1 packet yeast
   + 2 teaspoon sugar
   1. stir to dissolve.
   2. let sit for 10 minutes
   1. yeast should expand and look foamy (“proofing the yeast”). if it doesn’t, that means yeast is expired. pause and go buy more yeast.
2. add 1¼ cup lukewarm water
   + 1 egg (yolk and white)
   + 3 egg yolks
   + ¼ cup orange blossom honey
   + 2 tablespoons canola oil
   + 2 tablespoons salt
   1. whisk until blended thoroughly
3. add 4.5-6 cups flour in increments of half a cup. stir with a large spoon every time flour is added.
   1. when it becomes too thick to stir, knead it with your hands.
   2. keep adding flour and kneading until it's smooth, elastic, and not sticky.
4. take dough out of mixing bowl
   1. grease your second mixing bowl with canola oil
   2. push the dough into the bowl and flip it so both sides are slightly oiled
5. time to let the dough rise!
   1. if it's warm outside, you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it by a window to rise
   2. if not, boil a pot of water. put the pot on the lower tray of the oven. cover the mixing bowl with the dough in it with a damp dishcloth. close the oven.
   3. wait 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size
   4. punch it down (to remove air pockets)
   5. let rise for 1 more hour
   6. punch down again
6. dust flour on a cutting board (or baking tray, or another smooth surface you can use to roll out dough)
   1. knead dough on the board. it doesn't need a ton of kneading - just until you can press your finger into it and the indent will bounce back.
7. separate the dough into as many parts as loaves you want. (i usually make 3 loaves!)
8. work one loaf at a time, and set the other parts of dough off to the side.
   1. divide the dough into 3 equal parts with a knife
   2. roll these parts out with a rolling pin until it's ¼ inch thick
   3. with your hands, roll each part up into a strand, sort of like a long cylinder
      1. keep pressure on it as you roll so no air pockets collect
      2. roll it back and forth to smooth it out, & taper a bit at the ends so it's thicker in the middle
9. lay the 3 strands side by side and braid them.
   1. start in the middle, then flip it around and do the other side. when you're done, tuck the ends underneath the loaf to make it nice and pretty!
10. repeat steps 8 & 9 for as many loaves as you're making
    1. while you're doing this, if you're letting the dough rise in the oven with a pot of boiling water under it, you should put a pot of water on the stove to boil. you'll need it soon.
11. mix egg wash in a cup → 1 egg
    + 1 tablespoon cold water
    + ½ tablespoon salt
    + ½ tablespoon honey
    1. whisk with a fork until smooth
    2. brush over the top of the braided loaves. don't use up all the egg wash, you'll need it later!
12. let the loaves rise for 30-45 minutes, or until it bounces back when you press into it
    1. when you've got about 20 minutes left, take it (and your pot of water) out of the oven (if that's where you have them rising), and start preheating the oven to 350 degrees
13. baking time!
    1. bake for 20 minutes
    2. remove from oven, coat with more egg wash (focus on the parts that haven't turned golden)
    3. bake for 20 minutes (again) (for a total of 40 minutes)
14. remove from oven, and you're done!

enjoy your challah! it tastes great on its own, or with honey or jam. once it starts going stale you can make really good french toast from it.

if you try this, please let me know how it turns out! you can email me at hillhouse.neocities@gmail.com, leave a note in my guestbook, or leave a comment in the comment box below.

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