Most Amazing Challah
Serves: 4
Gideon Batz
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
54
Spice
55
Sweetness
43
Sourness
38
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.2
Difficulty
Ingredients:
2 tbsps
Salt3 cup
White Sugar4
Eggs12 cups
Bread Flour (or as needed)1
Egg1 tsp
Vanilla Extract1 cup
Sesame Seed (divided)Directions:
1
Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a large bowl, and stir gently to moisten the yeast
2
Stir in salt, sugar, margarine, and 4 eggs, and beat well
3
Gradually mix in the flour, 1 cup at a time, up to 12 cups, until the dough becomes slightly tacky but not wet
4
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes
5
Grease baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper and set aside
6
Cut the bread dough into 4 equal-sized pieces (or 2 pieces to make 2 large loaves)
7
Cut each piece into thirds for 3-strand braided loaves
8
Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long
9
Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends
10
Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them
11
Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand
12
) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand
13
Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look
14
Repeat for the remaining loaves
15
Place the loaves onto the prepared baking sheets, and let rise until double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours
16
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
17
Whisk 1 egg with vanilla extract in a small bowl, and brush the loaves with the egg wash
18
Sprinkle each loaf with about 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
19
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are shiny and golden brown, about 30 minutes
20
Let cool before slicing