| *WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH6 cups water
1 ½ cups honey
13 ½ tsp dry yeast
1 ½ cups canola oil
1 Tbsp salt
5-6 lbs. King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
Pre-heat oven to 150 to 170 degrees
1. Pour ½ cup oil into a ½ cup measure and then return the oil to the bottle.
2. Use the oiled cup to measure 1 ½ cups honey in a very large bowl.
3. Add 6 cups very warm water to honey.
4. Sprinkle 13 ½ tsps. dry yeast on top and let stand 20-25 minutes.
5. Add salt to mixture and then 1 ½ cups of oil.
6. Add the flour gradually. I add two cups at a time and stir. After about 5 lbs. of flour have been added the mixture becomes thicker and may be turned onto a floured surface.
7. Knead adding more flour until the flour is mostly mixed into and adheres to the dough ball.
8. From this point knead the dough for a minimum of ten minutes. The dough will become smooth, shiny and ever so slightly sticky. This is the time to daven for a childless couple, health, mazel or whatever you wish to communicate with the Abishter about.
9. Place the dough in a large bowl with a small amount of oil and roll the dough so it is completely covered in oil.
10. Turn off oven and place the large bowl on a foil tray inside the oven. I allow to rise for two hours and punch it down several times during the rise.
11. At the end of this rise take challah and recite the brucha. If you are davening for someone this is the time to say a special prayer on their behalf. Wrap the taken challah in foil and place on a burner over high heat. This is the challah offering which we will discard once it has been burned.
12. Divide the dough into portions. I make 18-20 challah rolls plus 6 large loaves of challah from this recipe. I place the rolls on parchment on a foil tray and four braid each of the six loaves before placing them in foil loaf pans or I make them into pull aparts.
13. Let the rolls rise for one hour and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree pre-heated oven.
14. Let the challah loaves rise for 1 ½ hours and bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
This is not a crusty challah because of the limited salt. It is, however, tasty. It is good at the table and makes great french toast or sweet challah kugel if left over.
*For Rosh Hashanah I add raisins and bake as round challahs. Top of page
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