Recipe - Challa

2 One half cup Water, tepid (about 110 f)
3 teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoon Sugar
3 Quickrising dry yeast,
envelopes
3 Eggs, beaten at room temp
One half cup Vegetable oil
3 pound Unbleached white flour
Cornmeal, for baking

EGG WASH
2 Egg yolks
1 tablespoon Water

GARNISH
1 tablespoon Sesame seeds

Place the water, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a heavyduty electric
mixer (KitchenAid K5A2 model works best). Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add
the yeast and stir to dissolve. Stir in the beaten eggs and the oil. Beat
in 5 cups of the weighedout flour to make a batter. Beat for 5 minutes or
until the batter begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead in
the remaining flour by machine until smooth. Place the dough on a clean
countertop and cover it with a large metal bowl. Allow the dough to rise
until double in bulk.
Punch the dough down and allow it to rise again. Punch the dough down
again and divide it in half. Cut each half into thirds. Roll 3 of the
pieces into ropes about 16 inches long with your hands. Join 1 end of each
rope and press together with the heel of your hand. Alternately, braid the
3 ropse together and press the other 3 ends together with the heel of your
hand..
Sprinkle a large baking sheet with a little of the cornmeal. Place the
braided dough on the sheet pan and allow it to double in bulk again. Repeat
the process with the remaining dough. Allow the dough to rise until double
in bulk.
Beat the 2 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water together for the egg
wash. Lightly brush both risen braided doughs. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until loaves are
deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottoms with your
finger. Remove to a cooling rack. Source: Whole Family Cookbook

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini