Making a Challah/Koilech/Egg Bread

A lesson on how to make a delicious challah. It's easy - make it on a day when you'll be home. You'll have a beautiful, tasty bread when you're done.

Challah/Koilech/Egg Bread Recipe

1/10 lb. cake yeast (about 2 tbsp. of granulated yeast). I buy a pound at a bakery, divide it into 10 and freeze the pieces.)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. warm water

Dissolve the sugar in the water, sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit in a slightly warm location for 10 minutes, until the yeast is bubbly.

In the meantime, mix together:

1/2 c. warm water
3/4 c. (scant) oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
3 eggs

Add to yeast mixture. Stir in 3 cups flour, then let mixture sit, covered for 15 minutes so that the glutens can begin to work.

Then turn out mixture onto floured board and knead in 2-3 cups flour, working the dough for 10 minutes.

Grease a bowl and round up dough in a ball. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours or until doubled. Punch down, round up again and let rise again until doubled - 45 - 60 minutes.

Punch down, braid and place on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Baste with 1 egg yolk that has been mixed with 1 tsp. water.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover with foil or brown paper if it's browning too quickly. To indicate it is done, the bread should sound hollow in the middle when tapped on the bottom.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Challah
• Koilech
• Bread
• Egg Bread
• Baking
• Yeast