Mary Jo’s Honey Challah -

2 loaves
Ingredients:

5 tsp active dry yeast (or two packages)
1 cup warm water (105-115°F range)
1/4 cup honey (1T reserved for yeast)
1/4 cup sugar
5 cups bread flour
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs slightly beaten, plus 1 egg reserved for glaze
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Prayers
Honey Crystals, Poppy Seeds or Sesame Seeds (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: In warm water add the yeast and 1 T honey and stir together. Let stand until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes. Tip: If no foam start again. Yeast could be old or bad and your bread won’t rise.
Step 2: Using a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed, mix the 5 cups of flour, 2t salt and ¼ cup sugar. Set aside approx. 1 ½ cup of dry mixture. Add the wet ingredients (yeast, egg, butter and remaining honey) to the dry ingredients. Then, add the additional flour as needed until the dough separates from side of bowl and climbs the dough hook.** Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Step 3: Knead the dough (approximately 100 times or 5-10 minutes) until it is not sticky and forms a silky like ball (add dusted flour as necessary).Use this time to pray. For the people who will partake of this bread. Or Israel and the families as they make their challah and prepare for Shabbat. Or whoever / whatever God puts on your heart.Finger press the dough to see if it bounces back. Form the dough into a ball and lightly gloss the dough with oil. Transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl.*** Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm area for 1:45 to 2:00 hours.
Step 4: Punch down the dough (this removes air bubbles) and place on counter. Use cutter to divide the dough equally into six sections.**** Roll each section into a cord about 12-15 inches long. Braid two 3-cord loaves.***** Place the loaves on an oiled baking sheet, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise until the loaves double in size about 60 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 350°F. Gently brush the bread with a beaten egg and sprinkle honey crystals, poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional toppings). Place bread loaves on the lower third of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Internal temperature should be 200 degrees. Remove when they look golden brown and bounce back when lightly pressed and smells yummy! Tip: If the bread is browning too quickly tent with aluminum foil.

Let them cool completely on a wire rack (if you can keep from tasting them right away!).

Be blessed. Love is the secret ingredient and manna is God’s provision and presence. This recipe is made with love and served with joy.

Give thanks. You visited with God in the process. You prayed. You enjoyed. You have something beautiful to share that’s a blessing. And you have just participated in a family tradition our Jewish friends integrated into their lives as a form of weekly worship and blessing. Enter in …

Personal preferences and Tips:

*Personal preference to melt and cool the butter

**If you don’t have a mixer you would add dry and wet ingredients and then knead until the dough is silky smooth. It will take you longer but it is very doable.

*** Oil the bowl and dough as this will prevent the dough from sticking to the side of the bowl and not rising.

**** I use a scale to weigh the cords. This makes for a more uniform braid, but it is not essential.

***** Braid as you would a hair braid. YouTube has excellent demonstrations for all sorts of braids! Have fun. Experiment!