Challah

Ingredients

Dry yeast 1.5 tbsp

Sugar 1/2 cup

Olive oil 1/2 cup

Eggs 5

Salt 1 tbsp

Flour 8 cups

Raisins 1/2 cup

Poppy seeds

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water with 1 tablespoon of sugar. The required amount of water is 1 ¾ cups. Whisk the butter with the yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, and the remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add the flour. When the dough comes together, it is ready to knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

Clean out the bowl, grease it with oil, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise. It should almost double in size. You can also place the dough in a preheated oven and cool it to 5-10 degrees above room temperature. After the dough has risen, uncover the bowl and let it fall, then return it to a warm place for half an hour.

At this stage, you can stir in the raisins (if using). For the six-braid challah, take half the dough and form it into six balls. Roll each ball into a log about 30 cm long and 3.5 cm in diameter. Place all six in a row parallel to each other. Connect the ends of the logs. Place the rightmost log on top of the two logs.

Then take the next log from the left and cross it over all the logs from left to right. Place the leftmost log on top of the two adjacent logs. Throw the second sausage from the right over all the sausages to the left. Start again with the rightmost sausage. Continue until all the sausages are braided. Tuck the ends under the bottom of the resulting bun. Braid the second bun in the same way. Place the buns on greased baking paper (parchment), leaving at least 5 cm between them.

Whisk the remaining egg and brush the buns. Let them sit for another hour to allow the dough to rise again. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit). Brush the buns again with egg. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.

Bake on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Cool the buns on a wire rack. Tip: For a richer flavor, you can do the final rising of the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours. Before baking, remove the bun from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Enjoy!