Challah
(Makes 2 braided loaves)
This is a
traditional Jewish egg bread that's both beautiful and tasty!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups warm
water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 Tablespoon
active dry yeast
1/2-3/4 cup honey
(depending on how sweet you like it)
4 Tablespoons
vegetable oil
1/2 cup Egg Beaters plus about 1/4 cup more for egg wash
1 Tablespoon salt
8 cups unbleached
all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon poppy
seeds (optional--I omit)
1.
In a large
bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 1/2
cup Egg Beaters, and
salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition,
graduating
to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and
elastic and no
longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth
and let
rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
2. Punch down the
risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead
each half
for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting
sticky.
Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2
inches in
diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid
from
middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by
bringing
ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease
two
baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with
towel and
let rise about one hour.
3. Preheat oven to
375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Brush a generous amount of remaining Egg Beaters over each braid.
Sprinkle with poppy
seeds if desired.
5. Bake at 375
degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes (it only took 25 in my
oven, so watch it carefully!).
Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool
on a
rack for at least one hour before slicing.
From Joan
Callaway at Allrecipes.