Challah

Ingredients:

• 1 packet dry yeast
• 2 tsp. White sugar
• 1/8 tsp. Saffron (optional)
• 1 ¼ cup tepid water
• 4 ½ cups all purpose flour - sifted
• 2 tsps. Kosher salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 TBS Canola Oil
• 1 egg yolk beaten together with ½ tsp. Water
• 5 TBS. Sesame seeds (you can skip the seeds or replace with Poppy Seeds)

• Gently mix first three ingredients with ¼ cup of water and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Sift flour and salt together in large mixing bowl.
• Make an indentation in the center of the flour mixture and add eggs, oil, remaining water and the years mixture that had been set aside.
• Mix with your hands and then out dough onto floured board and knead it well.
• Cover with damp towel and place in warm (not hot) spot for about an hour to rise.
• Knock the dough down and set it aside again to re-rise. The dough will about double in size.
• Shape into a rounded loaf.
• Cover again and let rise until double.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush with the beaten egg/water mixture and sprinkle with seeds
• Bake for 45 minutes in a 375 oven.