ROSH HASHANA CHALLAH

By SMSchreiber

*NOTE: this challah takes a long time to make, with all the rising. Plan to start early in the morning.

Three-Strand Braided Challah

Anyone who has braided hair or rope will have no trouble here. In fact, you can divide the dough into as many strands as you like and braid accordingly, but this one is a simple 3-strand braid.
Weigh and divide the dough equally into 3 pieces. On an unfloured work surface, roll into balls and let rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 10 minutes. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Roll each ball into a 13- to 14-inch-long rope, about 1 1/2 inches thick and slightly tapered at the ends. Dust the 3 dough ropes with rye flour so they will be more distinctly separated. Place the 3 dough ropes side by side and pinch the top ends together. Lift the left dough rope and place it between the right and middle ropes. Lift the right rope and place it between the left and middle ropes, then the left rope between the right and middle ropes and so on until you reach the ends. Tuck both ends of the braid underneath the loaf and set it on the baking sheet. Whisk together and brush over the top of the loaf:

* 1 egg
* Pinch of salt

1. Loosely cover the braid with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until not quite doubled, about 45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the loaf again with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with:

* 1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Four-Strand Braided Challah

1. Weigh and divide the dough equally into 4 pieces. On an unfloured work surface, roll into balls and let rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 10 minutes. Roll the balls of dough into long ropes about 1 inch thick and 20 inches long, slightly tapering the ends. Dust the ropes of dough with rye flour so they will be distinctly separated. Arrange the 4 ropes side by side and pinch the top ends securely together.
2. Braid the strips of dough in the following sequence, as shown above: Lift and place the fourth strand over the second, B. Lift and place the first strand over the third, C, then lift and place the second over the third, D. Repeat this sequence, placing the strand that is now the fourth over the second, E, the first over the third, F, then the second over the third. Continue braiding until you reach the end of the strands. Pinch the bottom ends together and tuck both top and bottom ends underneath the braid. Finish as directed for Three-Strand Braided.

Tips:

1. There is a commandment to "separate challah." The separated challah is symbolic of the portion which the Israelites gave the High Priests during the time of the Temple.
2. Before shaping the dough, pinch off a piece of dough, the size of an olive, and burn it.
3. Recite the following blessing: "Blessed art Thou O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who hath sanctified us by His Commandment, and hath commanded us to separate challah."
4. Separating the challah and reciting the blessing is a way to spiritually elevate the act of baking and to acknowledge that physical sustenance is a gift from God.

Ingredients

• 2 * 2 cups warm water
• 1 * 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 10 * 10 cups white bread flour
• 1 1/2 * 1 1/2 cups sugar (You can use an addition 1/4 cup to make it VERY sweet.)
• 1 1/2 * 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 * 2 sticks unsalted parve margarine
• 5 * 5 eggs
• 1 * 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 * 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 * 1/4 cup Cointreau (or other orange liqueur, or orange flower water)
• 1/4 * 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

Preparation

Step 1

Mix water and yeast in a BIG bowl. Add 3 cups flour and 1 cup sugar. Stir with a fork; let rise 1/2 hour in a warm place. Meanwhile, put the raisins in a small bowl and add the Cointreau. Let them soak.

In another bowl, measure 5 cups of flour, the salt, and the remaining sugar. Cut in the margarine with a pastry blender or knife until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

After the yeast mixture has sat for 1/2 hour, beat four eggs and add them in. (The mixture will deflate.) Add flour-margarine mixture to yeast mixture and work until combined. Drain the raisins and add them to the dough along with 2 tsp of the soaking liquid. Add up to 2 cups flour if the dough is sticky. Turn onto a floured counter or board and knead well. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise about two hours, until doubled.

Punch down, knead for a minute or two, then let rest five minutes. Shape the dough into a round challah (or two smaller round challot, or a bird, or whatever Rosh Hashanah shape you prefer) on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cover, put in a warm place and let rise at least 3 hours. (Depending on how warm your rising place is, you can let it go up to 5 hours.)

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Beat the remaining egg, add a tablespoon of warm water, and mix to make egg wash. Brush the bread with the wash and sprinkle the top liberally with the almonds. Bake for about 45 minutes.