Sponge Started Challah Bread - Kosher

Total Time: 6 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 6 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water (100- 110 degrees f)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one package)
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup warm water (if needed)
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with
• 1 teaspoon water
• sesame seeds or poppy seed

Recipe

• 1 sponge:
• 2 1. in the bottom of an electric mixing bowl, mix first 4 ingredients together in order of appearance.
• 3 2. add only 1 cup of flour to yeast liquid, lightly mixing with a rubber spatula.
• 4 3. sprinkle remaining 1 cup of flour over mixture and set aside.
• 5 4. let rise (in cool oven or other dry room temperature place) for 30min.
• 6 when cracks form in flour, your yeast is doing it's job!
• 7 dough:
• 8 1. on top of the sponge, layer next 4 ingredients in bowl. make sure salt does not touch yeast mixture.
• 9 2. stir in mixer until everything is incorporated (1min) and then mix on medium until dough begins to ball up.
• 10 this takes 6-8min. if you have to add the 1/4 water, do it a table room at a time (i use a spray bottle) and mix for 1 min, then let it rest of 1 min to let the water soak up.
• 11 the dough should pull away from sides of bowl, not be too tacky, and be elastic.
• 12 3. turn out dough (you may not need any flour for this) and kned by hand into a round ball (only 4-6 strokes).
• 13 4. spray mixing bowl with pam (or butter) and place dough ball in bowl.
• 14 5. cover with plastic wrap and let rise until about double (1 1/2 - 2 hours).
• 15 6. gently deflate and repeat rise a second time.
• 16 7. deflate again and tun out onto counter, again, you probably won't need flour, it's a really tight dough!
• 17 8. divide dough in 1/2 and work each half into desired shape.
• 18 9. cover and let rise a third time (double, 1.5-2 hours).
• 19 topping:.
• 20 1. mix egg yolk and water.
• 21 2. brush gently on top of loaf (do not deflate).
• 22 3. sprinkle seeds (if desired).
• 23 bake: place in preheated 400 degree oven, then immediately turn heat down to 350 (325 convection) and bake for about 30min. bread will sound hollow and thermometer will read 190- 200 (it will coast up to 205).
• 24 remove from oven and let cool before taking out of pan -- enjoy!
• 25 you can freeze dough (up to one month) after 2nd rise by wrapping air tight. let it thaw out overnight in the fridge and them shape, rise, bake - a great way to get the prep work done ahead of time and always have fresh baked bread!