Challah to My Homies

Has anyone else noticed that all the Jewish holidays/holy days except Yom Kippur involve eating delicious delicious food?
Well it's Friday, and that means challah, so here is my challah recipe!

2 tsp instant yeast
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey

First, make a slurry by combining yeast, 1/4 cup flour, and water in a large bowl. Mix until smooth, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes until it has begun to bubble and puff up slightly.

When the slurry is ready, add salt, 3 eggs, oil, and honey. Mix well until all the ingredients are incorporated. Then add the rest of the flour, mixing it with the other ingredients. Knead until smooth and firm (but still easy to knead.)

Set dough in a warm clean bowl, and cover it. Let it sit for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

When the dough is ready, divide it into three even pieces, and braid them together just as you would someone's hair. Place it on baking sheet and cover it with a sheet of tinfoil or cling wrap. Let it rise for another two hours, or untill it has tripled inside.

Take your remaining egg and whisk it. Using a brush (if you don't have one, paper towels work) coat the top of the loaf with a layer of egg.

Place in oven heated to 325ºF and cook for 30-50 minutes, or until the loaf is well browned.


And there you have it! It's not very complicated, but it can be time consuming if you don't have anything short to do during the rising times. I always bake this when I have homework or studying to do--it's a good way of managing time with tasty results!