Challah (Braided Jewish Egg Bread)

Method

1. Pour the lukewarm water into a large bowl and stir in the yeast and honey until dissolved. It should feel like a warm bath on your finger; too hot and it kills the yeast. After 5 minutes, small bubbles appear on the surface.

   Add in this stepLukewarm water (about 38 °C) 90 mlInstant dried yeast 4 gHoney 30 g

2. Add the flour, salt, beaten egg and oil and stir with a spatula into a shaggy ball, then turn it out and knead for 10 min, pushing it away with the heel of your hand and folding it back. It starts sticky but becomes smooth; it is ready when a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing. Rub your hands with a little oil rather than adding lots of flour, which makes a dry loaf.

   Add in this stepStrong bread flour 250 gSalt 1 tspBeaten egg, weighed (1 large egg is about 50 g) 50 gNeutral vegetable oil 30 ml

3. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm for 1 h, until doubled in size. Poke it with a floured finger: if the hole stays, it is ready.

4. Press out the air and divide the dough into three equal pieces with scales. Roll each under your palms into a 35 cm rope, slightly thicker in the middle and tapered at the ends. Pinch the three tops together, then braid loosely like hair, crossing the outer strands alternately over the middle one. Pinch the ends and tuck both ends slightly underneath.

5. Move the braid to a tray lined with baking paper. Beat the egg for the egg wash with a pinch of salt, brush a thin coat over the loaf, cover loosely with cling film and leave to rise for 40 min, until puffy and a gentle finger press springs back slowly. Heat the oven now.

   Add in this stepEgg, for the egg wash ½

6. Brush again with the remaining egg wash, getting into the cracks, and sprinkle with sesame. Bake (oven) at 180 °C for 25 min, until deep reddish-brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped (88 to 90 °C inside). If it browns too quickly, lay foil loosely on top after 15 minutes.

   Add in this stepEgg, for the egg wash ½Sesame seeds (optional) 1 tsp

   oven

7. Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing; cut hot, the crumb squashes and turns gummy.