Bread Machine Challah

Challah is Jewish bread traditionally served on the Sabbath symbolizing the manna God sent his Children in the wilderness. This beautiful bread is always braided, and it is a sweet bread. I love to make this during the holidays because I will allow myself to gain a few pounds. If by chance this bread has leftovers, it will make a wonderful French toast the next morning. The bread dough will be soft, and it is not easy to handle and also will lose its shape if over proofed.  I use a bread machine and let it rise slowly overnight for the Thanksgiving meal, and, it works for me.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
4 tbs sugar
1/4 cup soft butter
1 tsp salt
3 ½ cups bread flour or on life and purpose flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
Egg wash ingredients:
1 egg yolk
1 tbs water
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:
Place all the ingredients as listed above in the bread machine pan. Select the dough setting and press start.
Remove dough when it is finished kneading.
Place in a mixing bowl and let slowly rise in the refrigerator overnight.
When dough is ready to shape, lightly flour the countertop surface. Grease a baking sheet with butter or oil.
With a sharp knife, divide dough into 3 pieces.

Gently stretch each piece of dough into 18 inch long rope. Lightly flour dough.

Place the 3 rope side by side an inch apart .
Start to braid the dough from the center to the end. Pinch to seal and tuck the end.

 

Cover and let dough rise for 40 minutes. Do not let it overproof.
Mix the egg wash and brush over the dough.

 

Preheat oven to 350° and bake for 40 minutes.