Traditional Challah

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 t Sugar

2 c Warm water

8 c All-purpose flour

1 t Salt

2 T Oil

1 egg, room temperature

1 egg, beaten with 2 teaspoons water

4 T Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the sugar and ½ cup of the warm water (110º). Cover with plastic and leave in a warm place until well softened and frothing, about 20 minutes.

Sift the flour and salt into a warmed bowl. Make a well in the center and break the egg into it. Add the yeast mixture and stir in, gradually mixing the liquid into the flour. Gradually add enough of the warm water to make a stiff dough (approximate). Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead until it is smooth and stretchy (continue to sprinkle flour on board until it doesn't stick to your hands or the board), about ten minutes. Put dough in a warmed, greased bowl. Cover it with plastic, and let rise until doubled, about two hours.

Punch down the dough and separate into six wads. (If you have more time on Thursday than Friday, pop them into large plastic bags and leave them in the refrigerator overnight. Then let them warm to room temp the next day.) Roll the wads between your hands into long strips of somewhat equal length and about one inch wide. Braid three strips together and place on a greased cookie sheet. Wrap the ends neatly underneath the loaf. Repeat to make the second loaf. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave them in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450^oF. Brush the loaves with the beaten egg and water mixture. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the top. Bake loaves for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 375^oF and bake for another 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a rack.

Normally, two loaves are baked at once and put on the Erev Shabbat table, covered until the blessings are said and the meal is about to start. Challah is often braided in a simple 3-stranded style. This traditional braided loaf is used for the Shabbat and festivals in most Jewish communities. Only the Middle Eastern, North African, and Persian Jews do not have braided bread for Shabbat and festivals.

An especially big Challah shaped with several braids of different sizes is baked for weddings, bar or bat mitzvahs, or other celebrations; it is sometimes sugar-glazed, decorated with seed sprinkles or raisins are added to the dough. Traditionally on the New Year a round Challah is made from a single, long strip of dough that is wound into a tight spiral shape stylizing the continuing cycle of the years.