Challah Bread

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups warm water
• ⅛ cup yeast
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon
• ¼ cup oil
• 6-7 cups flour
• ½ tablespoon salt

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the warm water, yeast and one teaspoon of sugar. Stir, then let sit and allow the yeast to rise while you prepare the dough.
2. In a mixer attached with a bread dough hook, put two eggs (or one egg + one flax egg), one cup of sugar and ¼ cup of oil into the mixer. Mix on low for approximately eight minutes.
3. After the yeast has risen for approximately fifteen minutes, add it to the mixer and mix for an additional thirty seconds on low speed.
4. Slowly add three cups of flour and ½ tablespoon of salt and continue mixing on low speed until flour is blended well.
5. Slowly--very slowly!--on low speed add an additional three to four cups of flour. You will want the dough to be just slightly sticky to the touch. Turn mixer off and transfer the dough to a bowl that has been oiled. Roll the dough ball around in the bowl to avoid sticking. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rise for one to two hours.
6. After the dough has risen, punch down the dough, then allow the dough to rise for another hour.
7. After the dough has risen for the second time, divide the dough into three parts. Braid the dough or place the bread into three separate bread loaf pans. Allow the dough to rise for an additional twenty minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the dough with egg before placing in the oven.
9. Cook the bread for 20-25 minutes or until dough is lightly browned on the top. Remove from oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before removing dough to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes