• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 10 cups white bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (You can use an addition 1/4 cup to make it VERY sweet.)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 sticks unsalted parve margarine
• 5 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup Cointreau (or other orange liqueur, or orange flower water)
• 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

Mix water and yeast in a BIG bowl. Add 3 cups flour and 1 cup sugar. Stir with a fork; let rise 1/2 hour in a warm place. Meanwhile, put the raisins in a small bowl and add the Cointreau. Let them soak.

In another bowl, measure 5 cups of flour, the salt, and the remaining sugar. Cut in the margarine with a pastry blender or knife until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

After the yeast mixture has sat for 1/2 hour, beat four eggs and add them in. (The mixture will deflate.) Add flour-margarine mixture to yeast mixture and work until combined. Drain the raisins and add them to the dough along with 2 tsp of the soaking liquid. Add up to 2 cups flour if the dough is sticky. Turn onto a floured counter or board and knead well. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise about two hours, until doubled.

Punch down, knead for a minute or two, then let rest five minutes. Shape the dough into a round challah (or two smaller round challot, or a bird, or whatever Rosh Hashanah shape you prefer) on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cover, put in a warm place and let rise at least 3 hours. (Depending on how warm your rising place is, you can let it go up to 5 hours.)

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Beat the remaining egg, add a tablespoon of warm water, and mix to make egg wash. Brush the bread with the wash and sprinkle the top liberally with the almonds. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Challah Recipes -- Rosh HaShanah