Sweet Raisin Challah
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1 1/2 cups dark or yellow raisins, plumped
(soaked in water)
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1 3/4 cups warm water
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2 tablespoons yeast
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pinch sugar approx, 1/4 teaspoon
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1/3 cup sugar
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1/3 cup honey
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3 1/2 teaspoons salt
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1/2 cup oil
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3 eggs
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2 egg yolks
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6-7 cups flour
Egg wash:
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2 tablespoons water
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2 teaspoons sugar
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1 egg
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1 yolk
In a large bowl stir together the yeast,
water, and pinch of sugar.
Let stand five minutes to allow yeast to
swell and dissolve.
Briskly stir in remaining sugar, honey, and
salt. Then add oil, eggs, yolks and about
five cups of the flour. Stir and let stand
10-20
minutes to absorb flour. Knead, by hand or
with a dough hook, adding remaining flour as
needed to make a soft and elastic dough
(about 10-12 minutes). Dough should leave
sides of the bowl. If it is sticky, add
small amounts of flour until dough is soft
but no longer sticks.
Let dough rest on a lightly floured board
ten minutes, then flatten and
press in raisins as evenly as possible into
the dough, folding dough over raisins to
"tuck" them in. Place dough in a greased
bowl and either cover with greased plastic
wrap and a damp tea towel or cover with a
damp tea towel and place entire bowl inside
a large plastic bag. Let rise until doubled
and puffy looking, anywhere from 45 to 90
minutes.
(If you are doing an overnight, cool rise,
place dough in a large, lightly
greased bowl and insert this in a large
plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight. If you
see the bread rising too quickly, open the
bag, deflate dough, and reseal. Next day,
allow dough to warm up then gently deflate
and proceed.)
Divide dough in three sections. Shape
to each to a round ball.
Place on cornmeal dusted baking sheet. In a
small bowl, whisk together egg glaze
ingredients. Brush loaf with egg wash and
sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let rise
until puffy, around 20-30 minutes. Preheat
oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake bread 12 minutes then reduce heat to
350 Degrees F and bake another 25 minutes or
until bread is evenly browned.
Can be frozen baked or unbaked. If freezing
unbaked, let bread rise slowly, overnight in
the fridge. Bring to room temperature before
baking.
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