The Challah is something I started making when we lived in Chapel Hill in the 70's. I saw an article in BH&G about a little Jewish boy , 10 yrs old I think, who baked the Challah and took it around to neighbors to raise money for a charity. I was so impressed and started making it then. Haven't stopped yet. I went from doing it by hand to doing it in my Cuisinart Super Pro. I still have the same one I bought in the 70's also...$200. I had the motor rebuilt by them yrs ago and it still works great. This is easy to do by hand also.

Challah
1 1/2 c warm water - add 2 TB yeast
1/4c. butter (Pareve)
1/4c. sugar
let foam up and then add 2 tsp salt and 3 lrg eggs. Whisk together. Put 6 c unbleached flour in the food processor bowl. Turn on machine and slowly add fluids. Rate that you pour is the key to success. Too fast and it gums up in the bottom . After adding all the flour stand ready to sprinkle in more so that it cleans the bowl. This should all take about 1 1/2 min after all the fluid is added. Let it go around til the dough is a nice clean ball. Take it out and knead a couple times to make sure it is smooth and not sticky. Place in greased bowl- warm place- 1 hr. Shape in 3 braids - greased cookie sheets- rise til double apprx 1 hr. Bake in convection 325 for 30 min. Reg oven 350 30 min. I brush w/ 1 egg beaten w/ 1 TB 1/2 and 1/2. I sometimes put sesame seeds or poppy seeds. If you do it by hand make it 2 c. warm water and add all the fluid to the bowl of 6 1/2 c flour. Stir w/ a big wooden spoon til a shaggy mass and then turn out and knead.

I haven't posted to the cooking forum. I just really like the open generous spirit on this forum and haven't tried to move on anywhere else. I do post pics on the Photography Forum. They are really nice too.

valinsv: nah...I 'm a Unitarian ..sort of...Humanist sort of.. Caroline