Outnfree you said
>>May I have your recipe for challah?
I have a good recipe for Challah:
2 envelopes dry yeast
½ Cups lukewarm water
2 Cups boiling water
¼ Cups vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
7-8 Cups flour
In a small bowl, combine yeast and lukewarm water. Allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes to work.
In larger bowl, put in boiling water. Add oil, salt, and sugar stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool mixture to lukewarm and then add the yeast. Add beaten eggs (reserving 2 TBLS of egg mixture for brushing loaves before baking). Add approximately 3 to 4 Cups of flour and stir to make a smooth batter. Then add remaining flour to make a dough that is smooth, elastic and manageable. Knead dough for a few minutes. Shape into a ball and grease entire surface of dough lightly with oil and place in a greased mixing bowl. Cover with clean cloth and set in warm (not hot) place until dough rises to double in bulk (approximately 2 to 3 hours). Knead again and divide into two even balls to make two challot.
Cut each ball into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a long strip, slightly tapered at the ends. Press the top 3 ends together and start braiding the challah until the end. When finished braiding, press the bottom ends together. Prepare second loaf in the same way. Place the 2 challot on a greased baking sheet or in 2 bread loaf pans, 9x5x3 (greased). Set in a warm place away from drafts. Cover with a clean dishtowel and allow to rise to double the bulk. For a golden, crispy crust, add a spoonful of water to the reserved egg and brush onto the loaves. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. If you prefer a soft crust, brush loaves with melted margarine.
Bake in a hot oven (400° ) about 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350° and continue baking about 30 to 40 minutes. If you bake challot in loaf pans, remove them from the pans immediately when they come out of the oven and place them on a rack.