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Always Successful Challah Recipe

  • 8-9 cups flour                 •2 1/2 cups lukewarm water                 •1/4-1 cup sugar                 •1/2 cup oil                 •1 Tbsp. Salt
  • 1/4 cup raisins (optional)                 •2 oz. (50 gm.) yeast                 •5 eggs


    • Mix together 2 1/2 cups flour with sugar, salt, yeast (no need to dissolve first), water, and oil. Mix in 4 eggs. Beat in 11/2 cups flour very well. Add 4-5 cups flour until a very soft dough is formed. Add raisins (optional). Knead. Separate challah, if necessary. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let warm to room temperature, 1-2 hours. Make balls, roll them into ropes, and braid (see illustration, page 122). Let rise, covered, for 1/2-1 hour. Make egg wash by beating 1 egg. Brush on challah. Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees F. (160 degrees C.) for 30 minutes. Apply egg wash once more and bake another 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.). Makes 4 medium-sized challahs.

         It is one of the three unique mitzvos of a woman to make challah for Shabbos. This is a special time to daven for your family and Klal Yisroel.


    How to separate challah


    1. Place the dough in front of you, before it has been formed into any sort of shape.
    2. Some have the custom to give charity or wash hands (netilat yadayim) without a blessing before fulfilling the mitzvah.
    3. Recite the blessing.
      It is the custom to stand while performing this mitzvah.


    Ashkenazim
    bracha   


    Sefardim

    bracha   
    4. Remove a small piece from the dough, lift it, and say:
    bracha

    The piece of dough can be of any size. The custom is to separate a kazayit – 28 grams (approximately one ounce), or the size of a ping-pong ball.
    5. Burn the separated dough or wrap it in two layers and discard it.
    It is preferable to burn the piece of dough that has been separated, but not in the oven. If the challah is burned on the gas range, it should first be well wrapped in aluminum foil so that the dough does not touch the grate. Another option is to place the piece of dough inside a tin-can and burn it on a lit gas range.
    If burning the challah cannot easily be done, it may be wrapped in two layers of a material such as aluminum foil or plastic bags and discarded.

    How to braid challah

    1. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Knead each part into a smooth ball and roll each ball into a ropelike strand. Lay the strands side by side and pinch together at the top.
    2. Grasp the leftmost strand and pass it to the right, under the two strands adjacent to it, and then back toward the left, over one strand (the one closest to it now).
    3. Grasp the rightmost strand and pass it to the left, under the two strands adjacent to it (which have already been braided), and then back to the right, over one strand.
    4. Alternately repeat steps 2 and 3.
    5. When done braiding, pinch the ends of the strands together.


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