5 lbs of High Gluten Bread Flour plus extra flour for kneading and shaping (1-2 cups)
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup, plus 2 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. salt
Instructions
Place yeast, sugar, honey and warm water in to a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of your mixer. I used a Bosch for this recipe. Allow the yeast to sit a few minutes until it bubbles.
Add about 6 cups of the flour and mix in to a paste.
Add eggs, ½ cup of oil, vanilla and the salt. Stir together.
Add the rest of the bag of flour and knead for several minutes. The dough may be a little sticky.
Add the 2tbsp, of oil and knead a few more minutes.
If you are using a machine, turn the dough on to a floured counter and knead a few more minutes. You may need to add an additional half a cup of flour. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with.
Oil large bowl and brush oil on the top of the dough and place in the bowl. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for around 45 minutes. You will need to punch the dough down halfway through. The dough should double in size.
Now is the time to shape your challah. I love the various braiding tutorials on the Challah Blog.
Once you've shaped your challah, cover your challahs with plastic wrap or with towels, and place in a warm spot. Allow the challah to rise for another 40 minutes.
Preheat your own to 350.
Brush your challah with an egg wash. Now is the chance to add any toppings like sesame seeds, poppy seeds and other goodies.
Bake your challah at 350 for about 40 minutes.
When you tap on yoiur challah, it should sound hollow. That's a sign of doneness.
Enjoy!
Recipe by Confident Cook, Hesitant Baker at https://confident-cook.com/2013/09/my-favorite-challah.html