Challah

Mmm, weekend. Here's the bread recipe I promised a while ago.

This challah recipe makes two loaves. 

Ingredients:

4 cups flour (plus more for dusting the pan and reducing stickiness)

1 Tbsp yeast (one packet of Red Star)

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 cup warm water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp sugar (optional)

raisins or craisins (optional)

In a large bowl, add warm water to yeast and let sit 3 minutes. Add flour gradually, mixing, then add oil and honey (if you use the same measuring cup, pouring the oil before the honey will make the cup easier to clean). Add salt. Beat and add TWO of the eggs. Stir/knead, with your hands or a wooden mixing spoon (if you use your hands, you'll want to keep one non-doughy for adding more flour). Add extra flour as necessary - dough should not be too sticky. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rise for two hours minimum; overnight is fine. 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Separate the dough into six equal parts, three for each loaf, and braid together. Beat the third egg in a small bowl and brush onto each challah (this is what gives it the nice shiny crust). Bake for 45 minutes - outside should be a deep golden brown, inside should be cooked through.

Enjoy fresh with dinner, or the next morning for French toast!

I'll try to remember to take pictures of the braiding process next time I make it. It's just like braiding hair.

So that this post is not entirely about food (again), and also because I forgot to put it up with the rest of the Coney Island pictures, allow me to present, for your viewing pleasure and bafflement, this very special trash can we saw last weekend:

I don't know either. Happy Saturday!