Challah is the Jewish name for this braided egg bread. I’ve always loved bread, but this is my favourite home-made bread. This is the first time I made it by myself, though I remember helping my mother with it when I was young. It’s a lot easier than I would have thought, and although it takes hours to rise there is little work involved.

The result is well worth even twice the work.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp dry yeast
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour (more later)
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1¼ cups very warm water (not boiling)
• ⅓ cup soft butter or vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• ¼ tsp saffron (optional)
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 egg yolk + 1tbsp milk (glaze)
• 1 tbs sesame seeds

Directions:

Combine yeast, 1½ cups flour, salt, sugar. Stir. Pour in water and beat til smooth. Mix in butter, eggs, saffron. Gradually add the rest of the flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, butter the top, cover the bowl with a cloth, and let rise until it doubles in size, or at least an hour. Punch down. Knead lightly. Divide dough in 4 equal pieces. Roll each ~20″ long (or a bit longer than a standard baking sheet). Pinch top ends together on greased baking sheet and braid, bringing always right hand strand over under over others. Cut off ~¾ cup dough from end. Pinch, turn under ends. Divide the leftover dough into 3 parts, roll and braid again. Place on top of the main braid. Butter the top, and cover with a cloth again. Let rise until it doubles in size again, or at least an hour. Brush egg yolk glaze over braid and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until sounds hollow when tapped.

Note: To braid four strands, start by crossing the 2nd one from the left over the 3rd. Then take the 1st one and put it under the 2nd (which was the 3rd in the 1st step), and the 3rd one under the 4th. Repeat. If this doesn’t make sense, google it and find an explanation that does. Or just use three strands.

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