Recipe Friday: Bread Machine Challah

I'm thrilled to introduce Ima Shalom's newest feature...Recipe Fridays.

Our crack team of Ima bloggers will help make your Shabbat preparations easy and delicious.

All recipes Ima-tested, toddler-approved!

So, without further ado...

Ima and Abba Shalom's Bread Machine Challah Recipe

Makes 2 challahs

1 cup water
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 packet yeast
4 cups flour

1. Put all ingredients in your bread machine pan. If you don't have a bread machine, buy one, they are the best thing ever. Put pan in the machine. Set the machine to the dough cycle. Press start.

At the end of the cycle (about 90 minutes)...

2. Remove dough from bread machine. Lightly oil a cookie sheet.

(Note: keep flour on hand to make the dough easier to work with)

3. Separate dough into 2 balls. Form the first ball into four strands. Place strands on the cookie sheet and join them at the top.

4. Braid! To make a four-strand braid lift up the rightmost strand, put it under two strands and over one strand. Repeat until you get to the bottom of the strands. Join at bottom.

5. Form second ball into 4 strands. Braid your second challah!

6. Let braided loaves rise in a warm place for about 1 hour (30 minutes if using rapid rise yeast).

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make an egg wash out of 1 beaten egg and about 1 TBS water. Use a pastry brush to cover challahs with egg wash.

8. Bake 25-30 minutes. When challahs are done they should be golden brown and make a hollow sound when tapped.

9. Let cool.

10. Enjoy!

Note: If you are making these challahs more than 12 hours in advance, they should be stored in the freezer for maximum freshness (place freshly baked, still-warm challahs in a brown shopping bag to avoid condensation and place bag in freezer). Remove from freezer 4-6 hours before serving.

Variations:

-For a healthier challah you can use 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour.
-For a tasty twist mix craisins or raisins into the dough before forming strands.
-For a kid-pleasing treat put cinnamon and sugar or sprinkles on top of the challah before baking.
-For a super-sweet challah, add honey to dough ingredients and egg wash.

Finally...a big TODAH to Abba, whose challah recipe I gladly adopted when I married him.