Fluffy Challah Bread

This is a supper fluffy bread recipe. If you haven't made challah bread, you should give it a go. I will also be posting a few recipes with what you can do with leftover challah bread!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk or water, lukewarm

2 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup honey

4 cups all purpose flour (whole wheat works as well)

2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup raisons *optional

1 egg

In measuring cup mix together warm water or milk, yeast and honey. Let sit for 15 minutes.

In large bowl combine flour, cinnamon and salt. With a fork mix in water yeast mixture. Continue mixing and add in oil and 2 eggs. If you are adding raisins add now. Mix until dough forms a ball, you may need to add a small amount of extra flour. Dough will be slightly sticky still, but able to form a ball. Place dough onto counter and kneed for 8 minutes. Place on floured counter, cover with a warm damp tower and let sit for an hour to and hour and a half or until doubled in size.

Punch dough down, and portion into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion out into a long log. Lay all 3 in a row, and connect at the top and pinch together and braid. Once fully braided cover with warm damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Once bread has fully rested for the second time. Mix 1 egg and using a pastry brush egg wash over bread.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden coloured. Let fully cool once removed from oven on a wire rack.

Note:

If you are using milk insure you microwave or heat on a stove top until warm not hot. Very important step, this is how your yeast will activate. Around 105˚F. Too cold or hot kills the yeast.