Flower Pot Challah Bread Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a large bowl, and stir gently to moisten the yeast. Stir in salt, sugar, margarine, and 4 eggs, and beat well. Gradually mix in the flour, 1 cup at a time, up to 12 cups, until the dough becomes slightly tacky but not wet. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Grease baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper and set aside.
• Cut the bread dough into 4 equal-sized pieces (or 2 pieces to make 2 large loaves). Cut each piece into thirds for 3-strand braided loaves. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat for the remaining loaves.
• Place the loaves onto the prepared baking sheets, and let rise until double in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk 1 egg with vanilla extract in a small bowl, and brush the loaves with the egg wash. Sprinkle each loaf with about 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are shiny and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Steps:

• Grease large bowl and large cookie sheet with shortening; set aside. In another large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast until well mixed. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1 cup water and butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and mixture is very warm (120°F to 130°F).
• Add warm liquid and 4 whole eggs to flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. With spoon, stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead in 1/2 to 1 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl; turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place about 35 to 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
• Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. Divide dough in half; roll into two 14x6-inch rectangles. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into three 14x2-inch strips. Braid strips together; tuck ends under to seal. Place crosswise on greased cookie sheet. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 15 to 25 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Bake 10 minutes. In small bowl, mix 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water until well mixed. Brush over top of loaves; sprinkle with poppy seed. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling racks. Cool completely.