Honey Whole-Wheat Challah

By norsegal8

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 2 cups tepid water (105 to 115 degrees)
• 4 envelopes quick-rising dry yeast
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup peanut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole-wheat flour
• cornmeal
• sesame seeds
• Egg Wash:
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon water

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Place the water in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast, kosher salt and brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Beat the eggs and egg yolk together and add to the mixing bowl, along with the oil and the honey. Stir together until smooth. Add 2 cups each of the all-purpose flour and the whole-wheat flour. Beat together for 10 minutes to form a batter. Replace the beater with a dough hook and knead in the remaining 1 cup of each kind of flour.

Knead for 10 minutes until a smooth dough is formed. Knead in additional all-purpose flour a bit at a time if the dough sticks to your hands. Place the dough on a countertop in a warm place and cover with a large bowl. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down and allow to rise again. Punch the dough down again and divide in half. Divide each half into thirds. Roll each third into a rope about 16 inches long. Braid the ropes together, using the heel of your hand to seal the ends. Sprinkle a little cornmeal on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the braided loaves on the cornmeal on the pan. Allow the loaves to rise until doubled in bulk.

In a small bowl, beat together the egg, honey and water. Brush each loaf with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour, or until the loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when the bottoms are tapped. Cool on racks.