Haymish Homemade Challah Recipes

Steps:

• Put 3/4 cups of very warm water in a bowl. Add 1/8 cups of sugar and then the 1.5 T of dry yeast. Cover the bowl and set aside for 8-10 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.
• In an electric mixer (5-quart) mix the following ingredients: 1/2 cup of canola oil, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of warm water, 1/2 T of salt, and 4 cups of flour. Mix until a thin mixture forms.
• When the yeast mixture bubbles, add it to the other ingredients and mix. Then, begin to add the remaining 4 cups of flour in 1/2-1 cup increments. Add water in 1/4 cup intervals until the dough is smooth and only slightly sticky.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl with a greased spatula and make sure that all of the ingredients are mixed inches.
• Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rise for 10 minutes.
• If you are going to shape and bake your challahs immediately, cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 1 hour. If you are going to shape later (or the next day), place the dough into Zip-Loc bags lined with a little canola oil and refrigerate. (Remember that the dough will double in size, so leave enough room!) Remove the dough from the refrigerator 45 minutes prior to shaping.
• When you are ready to shape, grease your hands and the workspace with a little canola oil. Stack two baking trays on top of eachother and line the top with parchment paper (doubling up the baking trays prevents the bottom of the challahs from burning). Then, shape the challahs (be careful not to overwork the challah). If the dough is too sticky, use oil (don't use flour). Place the finished challahs on the baking sheet.
• Cover the challahs loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest. Mix an egg glaze (mix 1 egg and some canola oil together). Preheat the oven to 350. When the oven reaches the temperature, brush the challahs gently with the egg glaze as evenly as possible. Place the challahs in the oven to bake.
• After about 20 minutes, begin to check on the challahs. Take them out as soon as they are golden brown.
• Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. When they are cool, pack them in plastic bags. You can also freeze them, by placing them in Zip-Loc bags.
• Enjoy your challahs and have a beautiful Shabbos!

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a large bowl, and stir gently to moisten the yeast. Stir in salt, sugar, margarine, and 4 eggs, and beat well. Gradually mix in the flour, 1 cup at a time, up to 12 cups, until the dough becomes slightly tacky but not wet. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Grease baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper and set aside.
• Cut the bread dough into 4 equal-sized pieces (or 2 pieces to make 2 large loaves). Cut each piece into thirds for 3-strand braided loaves. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat for the remaining loaves.
• Place the loaves onto the prepared baking sheets, and let rise until double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk 1 egg with vanilla extract in a small bowl, and brush the loaves with the egg wash. Sprinkle each loaf with about 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are shiny and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
• Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
• To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
• Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
• If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking. Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
• Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.