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Parve
Easy
2 Hours, 30 Minutes
Diets 
1 and 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast or bread machine yeast if using a bread maker
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) Gefen Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tablespoon (1 and 1/2 teaspoons) pink Himalayan sea salt or table salt
5 cups bread flour
potato kugel or finely chopped potato latkes, for filling
Gefen Frozen Sauteed Onions (optional, but definitely adds some flavor)
If you are using a bread maker, place ingredients (except for the challah fillings) in order of manufacturer’s instructions. If you are making this by hand or mixer, place water, sugar, and yeast in bowl. Mix lightly for a few seconds, and allow yeast to proof (about five to 10 minutes). You want to ensure your yeast is potent/alive.
Next add eggs, oil, and mix.
Add flour one cup at a time and salt. You might find you may need slightly more or slightly less flour than the five cups the recipe calls for. That’s ok! You can also add a little extra oil or water if your dough feels dry. If using a mixer, continue to “knead” until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and develops a smooth and silky texture. If kneading by hand, it helps to keep a small bowl of oil or cooking spray nearby to coat or spray your hands. A common mistake people make is adding more flour when they feel the dough is sticky. In fact, it’s not the dough that is sticky, but your hands that are warm, which make the dough feel that way.
If you find your dough is tough to work with, allow the dough to rest for a few minutes to allow the gluten to relax. Not only will you feel slightly refreshed and relaxed, your dough will too!
Spray your workspace with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil spray to make your life easier.
Once the dough is well kneaded, place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place it in a warm spot and let it rise for at least an hour or two, until it’s doubled in size.
Next, punch down the dough, and give it once last knead. Now it’s time to divide it up.
Using a sharp knife separate your dough into evenly sized balls. I find a kitchen scale is a challah saver which yields even, beautiful challahs that look incredible and bake perfectly. I recommend six and a half ounces per ball but it’s up to you.
Roll out each dough ball into a short snake. Then flatten each snake ever so slightly lengthwise and widthwise with a rolling pin. You want your snake wider rather than longer so it’s able to hold the fillings. The same rule of thumb goes for the latke challah. Don’t overfill! This will cause the challah to become sunken and soggy. You also don’t want to overfill the strand because it will be difficult to seal up.
After adding the fillings, bring up both sides of the strand and pinch together to seal and roll gently on counter to hide the seal. Continue with the remaining strands and shape/braid as you wish.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheet or in a sprayed loaf or challah pan.
Allow to rise approximately 20 to 30 minutes while preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, beat two eggs with a teaspoon (or more) of honey or sugar, and mix well.
Using a pastry brush, brush egg mixture over challah. You can top with some shredded potatoes and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt or even truffle salt.
Bake 25 minutes before checking on your challahs.
Rotate pans and continue to bake another 10 minutes.
You can tell the challah is fully baked by checking the bottom. It should sound hollow when tapped and be golden brown. The top should also be slightly firm without any soft spots.
Remove from oven and cool slightly before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Once challahs are cool, slice and enjoy!
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