Challah Bread

Wow! I just found the greatest recipe for Challah bread...it is super easy...especially if you have a food processor. The recipe came from a Paula Deen cookbook that I borrowed. The recipe involves mixing up a few ingredients, which took about 15 minutes, and then two rounds of letting the dough rise. When the bread came out it was delicious! It was very soft and had a slightly sweet taste to it. On top of that, it was actually very pretty! (in spite of the fact that my "braid" was a bit lopsided!). Anyway, here's the recipe-I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!! I made a few changes and added some tips to the original recipe.

Challah Bread:

You need:
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 3/4 cup flour, half bread half all purpose
1 envelope of active dry yeast
2 eggs beaten, plus one for spreading on top
1/4 cup vegetable oil


Dissolve dry yeast in one cup of warm water for 10 minutes. While you are waiting on this, combine salt, sugar and flour in food processor. After the yeast is ready add it to the food processor. Then add eggs and oil. Process until dough forms a ball on the steel processor blade. This makes a pretty sticky dough, but if it seems TOO sticky, you can add a teaspoon or two more flour. Place the dough in a well greased bowl (i use crisco) and turn once to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a draft free place (i use my cold oven) for about 1 and 1/2 hours. (until double). Punch it down and divide it into three long skinny logs. Braid these together, tucking ends underneath. (this took me a while to figure out a nice way to braid it...luckily the dough didn't mind so much handling!). Let this rise on a cookie sheet or pizza stone if you have it for another hour. preheat oven to 350. Brush top of risen dough with beaten egg. bake for about 30 minutes.