MAKES 1 LOAF
Remember to save the leftover egg white from the dough for the glaze. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand following the instructions. Leftover challah makes sensational French toast. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
DOUGH |
|
|
½ |
cup warm water (110 degrees) |
|
¼ |
cup vegetable oil |
|
2 |
large eggs, plus 1 large yolk |
|
3–3½ |
cups (15 to 17½ ounces) all-purpose flour |
|
¼ |
cup (1¾ ounces) sugar |
|
2¼ |
teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast |
|
1¼ |
teaspoons salt |
|
GLAZE |
|
|
1 |
large egg white |
|
2 |
tablespoons water |
|
1 |
teaspoon poppy or sesame seeds (optional) |
1. FOR THE DOUGH: Whisk water, oil, and eggs and yolk together in large liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 3 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add water mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
2. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add remaining ½ cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom.
3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball. Place dough in large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
4. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and divide dough into 2 pieces, one twice as large as the other. Divide each piece into 3 pieces and roll each piece out into 16-inch-long rope (3 ropes will be much thicker).
5. FOR THE GLAZE: Beat egg white and water together in small bowl. Braid 2 loaves, one large and one small. Transfer larger braid to prepared sheet, brush with some egg white–water mixture, and secure smaller braid on top. Tuck both ends under loaf. Cover with greased plastic and let rise in warm place until nearly doubled in size and dough barely springs back when poked with knuckle, 45 minutes to 1¼ hours.
6. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf with remaining egg white–water mixture, sprinkle with seeds, if using, then spray lightly with water. Bake until golden and center of loaf registers 200 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating loaf halfway through baking. Let bread cool on sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving.
TO MAKE AHEAD: In step 3, do not let dough rise, but refrigerate it overnight or up to 16 hours; let dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then continue with step 4.