Delicious Sweet Challah

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 4 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast (or 3 tbl)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 7 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups oil
• 7 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups boiling water
• 5 lbs flour
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• sesame seeds or poppy seed

Recipe

• 1 proof the yeast: place the 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, 1 tbl sugar in a large glass measuring cup or bowl. set aside until yeast gets bubbly.
• 2 in a separate bowl, combine the 2 cups sugar, boiling water, salt, and oil.
• 3 crack eggs into large bowl (or your mixer bowl). add proofed yeast, mix again. add the sugar/water mixture. mix thoroughly.
• 4 add the flour in batches, incorporating well each time.
• 5 knead dough for 10-15 minutes, adding flour as needed until you get that earlobe texture.
• 6 place dough in a large bowl (greased), cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, punching down in the interim.
• 7 turn out dough onto floured surface. separate the piece of dough with the blessing if you make it.
• 8 divide dough into 6-7 pieces, and shape into challah according to your favorite style. (you can braid three strands, four strands, six strands -- whatever!).
• 9 (at this point you can freeze some of the shaped challot to bake later on.).
• 10 let rise another 30 minutes or so.
• 11 brush each loaf with beaten egg. sprinkle with seeds.
• 12 bake at 350f for about 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.