Challah originally mentioned in "Holiday Challah" and taken (with modifications) from Tupper Cooks!
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
egg wash (1 beaten egg)
poppy or sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
Makes four 1-pound loaves.
Directions
Mix the yeast into the water and let it bubble for 30 seconds. This will ensure that the yeasts is fresh and allow it to begin rising more quickly.
Mix the water/yeast mixture with salt, eggs, honey, and oil, in large a bowl. Then, using a wooden spoon or a scraper, mix in the flour. Do not knead this. Mix until there are no more dry streaks of flour left.
Cover with plastic wraps or similar and let rest at room temperature for about 2.5 hours. The dough will rise and then fall down a bit. When it does, it’s done and you can either use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator (since this is an enriched dough, plan to use it within 5 days. Beyond that, freeze it in 1-pound portions and it will last for up to 4 weeks in the freezer if stored in an airtight container. If you do freeze the dough, make sure you defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before using it. Also, note that dough from the refrigerator will need longer to rise when you take it out and will not rise as much, but should have sufficient oven spring.)
When ready to use the dough, prepare a floured surface. This can be a cutting board (if you are going to bake on an oven stone) or a greased and lightly floured cookie sheet if you are going to bake on a cookie sheet.
To make a braided loaf: divide the dough into three portions and roll each portion into a long rope. If the dough resists shaping, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. When you have the ropes shaped, you can either stick the three ropes together and braid from one end or you can braid from the middle out toward each end.
Let the loaves rise on the floured surface for at least 1 hour if fresh, and at least 1 hour and 40 minutes if it was refrigerated.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (with your cooking stone inside, if you have one).
Brush the dough with the egg wash, then sprinkle it with the poppy or sesame seeds.
Bake the loaf near the center of the oven for about 25-30 minutes (either on an oven stone or a lightly floured baking sheet), adjusting the time if you are baking different-sized loaves. When done, the challah will be golden brown, and the braids near the center of the loaf will give resistance when pressed. Challah doesn’t have the hard crust of a boule because of the fat in the dough.
Wait for at least 20 minutes before slicing