Challah in the house.

Nothing gets a group of Jewish girls more excited than the idea of making fresh challah. The sisters of Sigma Delta Tau were graced with the presence of Chanchi from the University of Michigan Chabad House, who taught us how to knead, braid and bake the most unbelievable homemade challahs.

I have had my fair share of bakery challahs over the years, but trust me this homemade challah cannot be rivaled. This recipe requires a little bit more time and yields a lot of challah, but it’s worth it.

Enjoy!

Homemade Challah Recipe

Courtesy of the University of Michigan Chabad House

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

2 pkgs dry yeast

1 Tbsp salt

½ cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ cup oil

7 cups flour

Glaze:

1 egg beaten

Cinnamon sugar blend

Sesame seeds

Poppy Seeds

Raisins

Cooking:

1. Dissolve yeast in water with a sprinkle of sugar. (If water is too hot, the yeast will die. If water is not warm enough, yeast will not be activated). Wait about 5 minutes. Yeast mixture should start to bubble. If not, start over.

2. Add the sugar, salt and ½ the flour. Mix well.

3. Add the egg and oil and mix until thoroughly combined.

4. Slowly stir in the flour while mixing the dough. The easiest way to do this is by kneading the dough with your hands. Dough should become thick, but smooth and elastic.

5. When finished kneading dough, coat with a thin layer of oil. Place dough in a large bowl and cover with a clean hand towel.

6. Let dough rise 2 to 3 hours until it doubles in size.

7. Separate dough into smaller portions, braid, and place on floured bake pans. (You can braid or fold the dough into any shape. We tried the traditional way of 4 braids, as well as folding it into a cinnabun shape. Both tasted great.)

8. Brush top with beaten egg. Top with cinnamon sugar blend, sesame seeds, poppy seeds or raisins. (Our favorite was cinnamon sugar)

9. Bake at 375° for approximately 30 minutes or until nicely brown.

Healthier option: For whole wheat Challah, replace 5 cups of flour for 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Then add 2 cups white flour.

Most of the challah disappeared within minutes of coming out of the oven, so I highly suggest trying it while it’s warm. For added flavor, spread cream cheese, margarine or hummus on top.