I follow the same receipe from the big purple Jewish cookbook, "Spice and Spirit: The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook"Just like there are 7 days of the week, there are 7 ingredients in Challah:
1. water
2. yeast
3. sugar
4. eggs
5. oil
6. salt
7. flour
Step 1: In a big bowl, put 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Add 2 packages of yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 2: After 10 minutes, add 4 eggs, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 (full) cup of sugar (or 1/2 cup of honey) and 3/4 cup of oil. Stir it up.
Step 3: Add 9 cups of flour (2 at a time-mix after you put 2 in each time).
Step 4: After all the ingredients are in start kneading/punching the dough. They say this brings Shalom Bias (peace in the home=use it as a punching bag!). After the kneading/punching pour a little bit of oil in and rub it around the entire dough.
Step 5: Cover the bowl with plastic or aluminum foil and let it rise. I usually wait 3-4 hours however you can usually tell when it is done rising.
Step 6: Take off the foil or plastic wrap, pull a little piece of dough (about an ounce) off and say "This is Challah!" (You only make the Hebrew blessing if you use 12 cups of flour or more, however you can still say 'this is challah' and i usually throw in a prayer).
Step 7: Start braiding! Set Oven to 350 or 400. Place challahs on aluminum foil on a cooking sheet or whatever you use. Make sure to spray foil with Pam spray.
Step 8: I like to crack an egg and brush it over challah, gives it a glossy look.
Step 9: Place challah in the oven, cook time: 20-30 minutes..make sure to watch it.
Step 10: Sing "challah in the oven, gonna watch it rise, challah in the oven, gonna watch it rise, right before my very own eyes!"
Step 11: Enjoy :)
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