Challah from Israel

Challah is a traditional sweet eggy bread eaten by Jewish people on the Sabbath and Rosh Hashanah.  Not only tasty, this braided bread is pretty to look at as well.  The history of this bread goes back to ancient times and it does have spiritual connotations.  Baking this bread is considered to be a blessing and the smell of freshly baked challah permeating the house is indeed a blessing, albeit not a spiritual one.  This is not a quick bread to make but it is worth the effort.

1 packet dried yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
5 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/3 cup honey

egg wash: 1 egg, 1 tablespoon water, pinch of salt

Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar to 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water you have put in a mixing bowl.  Let it stand for 10 minutes so that the yeast activates.  You know it's activated when it gets frothy.  Add in the rest of the lukewarm water, the eggs, oil, honey, salt and sugar and mix well.  Slowly start adding in the flour, half a cup at a time and mix after each addition.  As

the dough thickens you will need to start kneading it with your hands until it is smooth and elastic and no longer sticky.  Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and put it in a warm place for an hour so that it can rise.  When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to remove any air pockets and cover it up again and let it rise in a warm place for another hour.
Punch down the dough again and knead it for a few minutes.  Separate the dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a long snake about 2 1/2 cm thick and 30 cm long.  Braid the dough snakes as you would hair to make a plait.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  Mix up your egg wash ingredients and brush half onto your braided challah loaf.  Place the loaf on a baking tray covered with baking paper and cover it, allowing it to rise for another 30 minutes.  Put in the middle of the oven and

bake it for 20 minutes.  Take it out and brush with the rest of the egg wash mixture and put back into the oven to bake for another 20 minutes.  The challah should be a golden brown and should sound hollow when you tap it on the bottom.
Cindy Vine, a South African, currently lives and works in Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format.