Becky and Andrew's Quick and Easy Challah Recipe in Just 22 Simple Steps!

* Takes between 3-8 hours depending how long you let it rise

What you will need:

Quick starter:
* 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 1 cup water
* 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Dough:
* starter from above
* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 1 3/4 tsp salt
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 large eggs + 1 yolk

Egg wash:
* 1 egg white
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon water
* pastry or basting brush (preferred)

Instructions:

1. Make the starter by mixing the 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, and yeast in a large bowl. Make sure the water is fairly warm (~100 degrees) but not hot. (Make sure this bowl is big enough, since this is where all the dough will end up.)

2. Let the starter mix sit for about 45 minutes. (It will rise and bubble and.)

(Intermission 1)

3. Add the dough ingredients to the starter bowl, and mix everything together until the dough is smooth and "a pleasure to work with." Work the dough gently on a flat surface.

4. While the ball of dough sits on the counter, wash out the bowl.

5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. When preheated, turn off heat. (This will be for letting the dough rise in a nice warm climate.)

6. Grease the bowl, and put the dough back in. Turn it over in the bowl so it gets nice and greased on all sides.

7. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in warm, but turned off, oven.

8. Let the dough rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it's twice as big.

(Intermission 2)

9. When nicely risen, deflate the dough by slapping it with the back of your hand a few times. Fold it over on itself once or twice in the bowl, but don't work it too much.

10. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and place the entire covered bowl in a larger plastic bag (a Target bag works well), and tie closed with the handles.

11. Place in refrigerator for 1-4 hours (or even overnight as one recipe says). This refrigeration step is in some, but not most, recipes---I think it has something to do with making the finished product extra heavy and chewy. :)

(Intermission 3)

12. At this point the dough should have risen again to about double its size.

13. Deflate dough once more and fold once or twice on a floured surface.

14. Now it's time to braid. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, and roll each piece into a long snake about 18 inches. Try to keep the ends a bit thinner.

15. On a lightly greased baking sheet, pinch the 4 pieces together at one end so the snakes are slightly spread out and coming toward you.

16. To braid the challah, consider the snakes from left-to-right #1-4. Just remember "the strand on the left goes: Over, Under, Over, the other strands" --- take #1 over #2, under #3, and over #4 (so it ends on the far right). Then take #2 (now on the far left) over #3, under #4, and over #1. Continuing this process, take #3 over #4, under #1, and over #2. Each move should leave the last touched snake on the far right. Keep repeating until you run out of dough, and then pinch the end together. (Tuck the ends under the loaf a little bit if they're very ugly.)

17. Mix the egg wash together and brush half the mixture onto the loaf, trying to reach all exposed surfaces.

18. Cover the braided, egg-washed loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size (45 minutes to 1 hour).

19. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees while the braided challah rises.

(Intermission 4)

20. Do another light egg washing to fill in any newly exposed areas due to the rising.

21. Place in oven and bake and set timer for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, rotate, and then bake for another 10 (or 15) minutes. If desired, about halfway through the entire process, add some more egg wash to the drier looking areas.

(Intermission 5)

22. The challah is done when it's nice and golden in color, and a toothpick, skewer, or fondue fork, in the center comes out clean! Let cool and Enjoy!


Credits: This was adapted from a combination of the recipes here and here, and the braiding instructions here.