Challah (Braided Egg Bread) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 -9 cups flour
3/4 - 1 cup sugar (or 3/4 cup honey)
1 tablespoon salt
1 (2 ounce) package yeast
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (, or 2 cups only if using honey)
1/2 cup oil
5 eggs

Preparation

Mix together 2 1/2 cups flour with the sugar (honey), salt and yeast.
There is no need to dissolve the yeast first.
Add the water and oil.
Mix in 4 eggs.
Beat in another 1 1/2 cups of flour very well.
Add 4-5 cups of flour, until a very soft dough is formed.
Knead for about 10 minutes.
If using the dough hook, knead for about 7 minutes.
Let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Alternately, let rise in the refrigerator overnight and then let warm to room temperature for about 1 or 2 hours.
Decide how many challahs you want, how many strands you want to braid in each.
Make a dough ball for each strand; roll them into ropes and braid.
Let rise covered for 1/2-1 hour.
Beat the remaining egg and brush on the challah.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325 F (150 C) for 30 minutes.
Apply egg wash once more and bake for another 30 minutes at 350 F (175 C).
This dough is enough for 4 medium sized challahs.
You can really let your imagination run rampant here, making intricate braids, placing the braids in a loaf pan, even then winding them into a circle.
You can add about 1/4 cup of raisins to the dough, but we leave them out.