← Gefiltelicious

Joanne Luski's Challah

Breads · Contributed by Joanne Luski

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 tsp. yeast (Fleischmann's)
• 4 c. flour (Gold Medal Better for Bread)
• 3/8 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. oil
• 2 eggs, beaten (or 1/2 c. Egg Beaters)
• 3/4 c. + 1 T. very warm water

Instructions

1. Place the ingredients in the bread machine in this order. Set the machine to Manual — knead the ingredients and let them rise once, but do not bake. Add 1/2 c. raisins, if you want, at the appropriate time.
2. Take the dough out of the bread machine, squeeze out any air bubbles, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Heat the oven on warm for one minute, then turn it off and keep the oven light on. Spray Pam on a baking sheet.
4. Separate a small piece of dough and cook it in your oven or toaster oven until it gets dark. Recite the blessing to recall the dough given to the priests in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, and as a contemporary sacrifice — our joy is diminished in memory of the Temple's destruction: "Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, vitzivanu l'hafrish challah." Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate challah.
5. Divide the dough in half for two smaller challot, or into thirds to braid three ropes. Either way, knead the pieces to squish the air out.
6. Now is the time to add 1/2 c. chocolate chips, if you want a chocolate chip challah.