Challah

Directions

1. 1
   Butter a large bowl; set aside.
2. 2
   Stir all remaining ingredients, except the egg for the egg wash and the butter for brushing, in a large bowl until well combined.
3. 3
   Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead the dough, adding flour if needed, until smooth and pliable, about 15 minutes.
4. 4
   Transfer the dough to the buttered bowl; brush the top with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
5. 5
   Loosely cover with plastic wrap.
6. 6
   Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
7. 7
   Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead 5 minutes, then return to the bowl.
8. 8
   Brush the top with the remaining tablespoon melted butter, and loosely cover with plastic wrap.
9. 9
   Let the dough rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour more.
10. 10
    Preheat the oven to 375F.
11. 11
    Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
12. 12
    Roll each piece into a ball, and loosely cover each ball with buttered plastic wrap.
13. 13
    Let rest 20 minutes.
14. 14
    Roll each ball into a 12-inch-long log, leaving the middle a little thicker than the ends.
15. 15
    Lay the logs side by side lengthwise; pinch together the ends farthest from you, then tightly braid the strands, pulling them as you go.
16. 16
    Tuck the ends of the braid underneath.
17. 17
    Transfer to a buttered baking sheet, and loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap.
18. 18
    Let rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
19. 19
    Brush the dough lightly with egg wash. Bake until golden brown and firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bottom registers 180F and comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
20. 20
    If the challah browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil.
21. 21
    Immediately transfer to a wire rack; let cool at least 45 minutes before serving.
22. 22
    A dough that rises properly will approximately double in size; it will become smooth and puffy and feel very light.
23. 23
    Punching down the dough releases excess gases that develop during risingone or two good punches should be sufficient.
24. 24
    Separate the dough into thirds (use a kitchen scale to ensure they are of equal weight), and roll them into long strands.
25. 25
    To make a loaf that swells generously in the middle like ours does, leave the center of each strand thicker than the ends.
26. 26
    To braid, press the strand ends farthest from you together firmly, and then tuck them underneath to prevent the challah from unwinding while it rises.
27. 27
    Braid the strands tightly so the loaf is smooth and uniform.