2.2 pounds (1 kg or 7⅓ cups) flour
2 tablespoons dry yeast
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 to 2¼ cups warm water
½ cup oil
2 tablespoons dry yeast
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 to 2¼ cups warm water
½ cup oil
Sesame seeds (optional)
Egg wash:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons strong tea (steep a
teabag in 3 tablespoons water)
- Sift flour into a bowl. Add yeast, sugar, and mix. Add salt and mix. Add warm water; begin with 2 cups and gradually add another ¼ cup if needed. Knead the ingredients for a few minutes until a dough begins to form. Add oil and knead for 10 minutes. Oil the surface of the dough and cover with a towel.
- Put the dough in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk. This will take about 1½ hours.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes. Divide into 4 equal parts, and roll each part into a ball. Roll out each ball into a very long, narrow rectangle and roll it up jelly-roll style.
- Attach the ends of two jelly rolls and twist them around each other to form a thick rope. Shape each rope into a ring and squeeze the ends together firmly. The hole in the middle will disappear during the rising and baking. Transfer the challah to a 9-inch baking pan.
- Prepare the egg wash. Whisk the eggs with the oil and tea essence and spread over the challahs.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and allow to rise for 20 minutes in a warm place. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Bake the challahs for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the baking pans and allow to cool.
Yield: 2 (9-inch) round challahs
Note: Before rolling up the rectangles of dough, you can add a filling at that point.