Perfect Potato Challah

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces (russets work best, but i have used both red and gold too)
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 5 -5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon water
• poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Recipe

• 1 boil potatoes in water until tender; drain and reserve 3/4 cup potato-water (adding a little more water if necessary).
• 2 mash potatoes and set aside.
• 3 make sure potato-water is warm (about 115 degrees), and sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup potato water until bubbly (about 10 minutes).
• 4 in large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, salt, honey, butter, potatoes, yeast and potato-water. beat hard with a wooden spoon until creamy.
• 5 add eggs and beat for 2 minutes.
• 6 add flour a little at a time until mixture forms a shaggy dough that clears the sides of the bowl.
• 7 turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until springy.
• 8 brush a medium bowl lightly with olive oil. place dough in bowl and brush surface lightly with olive oil.
• 9 cover bowl loosely with a cloth towel and let dough rise at room temperature until double in bulk (about 45 minutes).
• 10 meanwhile, lightly brush baking sheet with olive oil.
• 11 cut dough into three even pieces, rolling each into a rope. braid together, beginning from the center.
• 12 place challah braid onto baking sheet, cover loosely with cloth towel, and let rise until double in bulk (about 45 minutes).
• 13 preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• 14 make glaze: beat egg with 1 teaspoon of water. brush all over top surface of challah braid. sprinkle with seeds.
• 15 place in oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
• 16 bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the center of the bottom.
• 17 cool completely on baking sheet.
• 18 enjoy!