Delicious Homemade Challah

When I first made this, I made it as a pull-apart challah, rather than the traditional braided. It is absolutely delicious and makes a very dense, flavorful dough. Prepairing in a bread maker may make a fluffier challah. Using a combination of whole wheat and white flour is said to make the best challahs!

• Ready In: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 2 Challahs

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  oil
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 3  eggs
• 2  cups warm water
• 3⁄4 ounce  fleishman's active dry yeast (3 packages)
• 8 -9  cups flour

Directions

1. Follow instructions on yeast package to activate yeast in warm water for 10 minutes.
2. Mix the ingredients - putting the oil into the bowl first and then measure and add the honey - using the same measuring cup that you measured the oil inches This little trick allows the honey to run smoothly out of the measuring cup.
3. Add the remaining ingredients in the order given.
4. If using an electric mixer, let it knead for 3 minutes and then do a little hand-kneading as you transfer the dough into an oiled bowl. If it is kneaded by hand, it is necessary to knead the dough for 10 minutes.
5. Let the dough rise in a large bowl that has been coated with oil. When transferring the dough into the oiled bowl, be sure to turn it on all sides so that it gets a thin coating of oil. Place the bowl in a warm place until the dough is double in size -- then punch down and knead a bit more.
6. Place the dough back in the bowl and let it rise a second time. This should take about one hour. Punch down and cut into sizes desired.
7. After shaping the challahs, brush them generously with egg yolk and sprinkle with either poppy seeds or sesame seeds if you prefer.
8. Bake in 350-degree oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the challah sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.