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      Title: Best Challah (Egg Bread)
 Categories: Cuisines, Holidays, Christmas, Bread and rolls, Yeast
      Yield: 2 large loaves of bread or 12 rolls.

  1 1/2 tb active dry yeast, one and one half packages
      1 tb sugar
    1/2 c  sugar
    1/2 c  olive or vegetable oil plus more for greasing the bowl
      5 ea large eggs
      1 tb salt
      8 c  all-purpose flour, up to eight and half cups
    1/2 c  raisins per loaf, if using, plumped in hot water and drained
      1 ea optional poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling

1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
2) Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid–it’s a bit much for it, though it can be done.
3) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
4) At this point, you can knead the raisins into the challah, if you’re using them, before forming the loaves. To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. For a good braiding demonstration, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22p3wIHLupc For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet (we prefer to use parchment paper) with at least 2 inches in between.
5) Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
6) If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.
7) Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.) Cool loaves on a rack.  If you are making challah rolls (or knots) bake for about 22 minutes.
8) Story: Sean and Annie got hooked on making this challah recipe during Christmas in Bratislava, Slovakia.  Everything about it is wonderful.   

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