Challah Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 2 cups milk or 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine or 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 (1 ounce) packages dry yeast
• 3 eggs
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Recipe

• 1 in saucepan, combine milk, butter and sugar; heat to 110 degrees. remove from heat. stir in yeast and cool 10 minutes.
• 2 pour mixture into large bowl; beat and add flour and salt. knead. cover and let rise 1 hour.
• 3 punch down and divide dough in half. roll each half into a 9x13 in rectangles. cut each rectangle lengthwise into 3 strips, braid 3 strips together and transfer to separate greased baking sheet.
• 4 let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• 5 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 6 in small bowl, beat 1 egg. brush loaves with egg and then sprinkle poppy seeds evenly over both loaves.
• 7 bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. bread should sound hollow when tapped.