Challah!

Over 13 million people will be celebrating Hanukkah this year.  I have never once celebrated.  Nor have I cooked a traditional Jewish dish or even eaten one for that matter.  In my adventures in the kitchen I decided that I would be celebrating Hanukkah with food.  I, personally, celebrate everything with food, so why not organize and theme the dinners.    So….Shalom and Mazel Tov as I channel my inner baleboste.

I personally can’t think of a better beginning than Challah!

Challah
1 tbsp dry active yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
4 ½ cups white bread flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 for glazing
pinch of sugar
salt
poppy seeds/sesame seeds

In a mixer, mix yeast, sugar, and ½ cup water. Sprinkle with flour, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Beat 1 tsp salt, oil, and eggs. Slowly add flour until absorbed. Knead for 5-10 minutes until no longer sticky.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover and leave (in a warm area) overnight to rise.
On a floured surface, knead until pliable.

Divide into 6 equal pieces. Using three at a time, braid into a loaf. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine the remaining egg, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Brush over the loaves and top with poppy seeds. Bake for 40 minutes or until browned. Cool on wire rack.

Messy!

Here is where I become very optimistic!

End result:  My kids kept running to the counter and ripping pieces off.  They don’t even do that with cookies.  I would say this was a HUGE success!