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The Cookie Lady’s First Assistant Pastry Chef, Paige, has a home of her own, a family, and a great recipe for challah.

The Jewish High Holy Days are approaching rapidly and challah is an important component of the celebration of Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year. This challah is golden and sweet with raisins, saffron, and honey to help you enjoy a sweet new year, and it should be round to ensure long life. But you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this marvelous bread recipe, it's delicious any time of year.

By the way, Paige has her own First Assistant Pastry Chef, Isabella. She loves to knead dough!

Please read the entire recipe before you start.

• 1 c. raisins plumped in orange juice for about one hour, set aside
• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1½ c. warm water
• pinch of sugar, about ½ tsp.

Sprinkle yeast over the warm water with the sugar. Allow it to sit about 5 minutes to dissolve.

Combine the wet ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 c. honey
• ¼ c. unsalted butter or margarine

Beat eggs, honey and melted butter in large mixer bowl.

Make the Challah dough

Pulverize

• 1/8 tsp. saffron (optional) with 1 Tbsp. warm water

Add to the mixer bowl with

• 2 Tbsp. brandy
• 5 to 6 c. all-purpose flour, one cup at a time
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 c. warm water

Blend well and remove to a floured board. Knead the dough 5 to 10 minutes. Knead in the raisins. You may have to knead in a bit more flour to make a smooth and elastic dough.

Place dough in a greased bowl, grease the top of the ball of dough, cover with a towel and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Braid one large challah

Divide dough into 3 parts. Form each into a large rope; begin to braid them from the center (as indicated in the drawing below) on a lightly and generously greased large cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.

Curve the braid around and join the corresponding ropes of dough to complete the circle. Paige likes to make four “family sized” straight loaves of Challah for regular Shabbat dinner.

Cover loaf or loaves with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Brush challah or challahs with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes for the large loaf, and 25 minutes for small loaves until golden brown.

Notes:

1. The Cookie Lady recommends Mothers Unsalted Margarine if you want to make a pareve challah.
2. You can add the extra egg yolk to the bread dough with the 3 other eggs, or you can save the egg yolk a day or two by putting it in a small jar with cold water and a little sugar, or you can use the whole egg to brush the challah, which gives it a more golden color.
3. Use any color raisins you have -- and that your family prefers.

Recipe from The Gourmet Jewish Cook
by Judy Zeidler, 1988