Nora's Challah

Total Time: 48 mins Preparation Time: 18 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups bread flour, plus some extra

Recipe

• 1 place the dough hook on a kitchenaid mixer.
• 2 in the mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
• 3 stir in 2 of the eggs, olive oil and honey, then add the salt.
• 4 place the bowl on the mixer, turn it on at a low speed and slowly begin adding the flour, a few tablespoons-ful at a time.
• 5 depending upon the time of year and the humidity in your kitchen, you may need to add more flour or a few more drops of water to get the right consistency. only add a few spoons-ful at a time. the kneaded dough, when patted, should feel firm, smooth and not sticky. be patient. knead for a while (or mix) before you decide if you need to adjust the flour or water. for all you mamas and daddies out there, the best test i was ever told when feeling the dough to see if it was ready was that when patted, it would feel like patting a baby's bottom.
• 6 once the dough is kneaded, place the ball of dough in a zip top bag that you have coated the inside with cooking spray.
• 7 place the zip top bag in a refrigerator overnight.
• 8 the next day, when ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest on the countertop for about 45 minutes.
• 9 remove the dough from the bag, punch it down and divide into 3 ropes.
• 10 coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, then braid the challah on the baking sheet.
• 11 brush the finished challah with a mixture of one egg and a tablespoon of cold water that has been whisked together.
• 12 sprinkle with kosher salt or sesame seeds if desired.
• 13 bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.