Decadent Challah Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt in large bowl.
• Heat water and 1 tablespoon oil until very warm (120 to 130).
• Add water mixture to flour mixture.
• Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.
• Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.
• Beat in 1 egg until smooth.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.
• Knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Place in greased bowl and turn greased side up.
• Cover and let rise in warm place 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until double.
• Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening.
• Punch down dough and divide into 3 equal parts.
• Roll each part into a rope, 14 inches long.
• Place ropes close together on cookie sheet.
• Braid ropes gently and loosely--do not stretch.
• Fasten ends and tuck ends under braid securely.
• Brush with oil.
• Cover and let rise in warm place 40 to 50 minutes or until double.
• Heat oven to 375.
• Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water and brush over braid. Sprinkle with poppy seed.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Check bread at 15 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if it seems to be browning too quickly.
• Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and cool.

Steps:

• Dissolve the honey in the water in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the yeast. Set the mixture aside until the yeast forms a creamy layer on top, about 15 minutes. Stir in the salt, 2/3 cup of olive oil, and beaten eggs. Add the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough is slightly tacky, but not sticky wet.
• Turn it out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface, then let rise until doubled in a warm, draft-free place, about 90 minutes.
• To make the loaves, punch down the dough, and cut it into 2 equal-sized pieces. Cut the first piece into 4 equal parts. Set the second piece aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you braid the first loaf.
• To braid the first 4-strand loaf, roll the 4 pieces of dough into thin ropes about the width of your thumb, and about 14 inches long. Make the tops and bottoms of each rope thinner than the middle area. Pinch the tops of the 4 ropes together, and fan the 4 ropes out so they don't touch.
• To make an "under-2, over-1 braid," take the left-most rope, and move it to the right to cross underneath the next 2 ropes, then move it left to cross back over the strand immediately to its left. Take the far right strand, and move it to the left and cross it under the two strands to its left (they are already crossed from the previous braid); then move it right to cross back over the strand immediately to its right. Repeat until the 4 strands are braided together all the way to the end, and pinch the ends tightly together. Repeat the steps to braid the second loaf, and let the braided loaves rise for 1 hour.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Make a glaze by whisking together the milk, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the egg white, and the sugar in a bowl. Brush the braided loaves with the glaze, to make a shiny crust, and bake the loaves on the prepared baking sheets in the preheated oven until they are light golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in large glass measuring cup and stir until yeast dissolves. Let yeast mixture stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• In large bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat 5 eggs until blended. Add oil, salt and 3/4 cup sugar and beat until pale yellow and slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Beat in 2/3 cup warm water. Add yeast mixture and beat until blended. Remove whisk and fit mixer with dough hook. Add enough flour 1 cup at a time to form smooth dough, beating well after each addition. Beat on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour by tablespoonfuls if sticky. Turn out onto floured surface and knead 2 minutes.
• Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, then with clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough. Cover with plastic and clean kitchen towel and let rise 30 minutes.
• Grease 2 large baking sheets. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Divide each portion into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 9-inch-long rope. Braid 3 ropes together; pinch ends together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough pieces, forming 2 braids. Place each braid on baking sheet. Cover with towel . Let rise in warm area until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk yolk with 1 tablespoon water to blend. Brush dough with egg mixture. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 35 minutes. Transfer loaves to rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)