Ingredients
Scale
- Ingredients:
- 2 Tb active dry yeast (I like SAF brand)
- 2 cups warm water
- ½ c. sugar (take one TB off the top to add to the yeast)
- 1 Tb salt
- 1/2 c. canola oil
- 7 1/2–8 1/2 c. flour
- 5 large eggs (room temperature–4 in dough and 1 for egg wash)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 2 cups warm water.
- Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, Separate into 2 large equal pieces. Working with one at a time, divide each half into three more pieces. Roll into snakes and braid together. Let rise for about 1-2 hours or until almost double in size.
- Then brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 Tb water) over bread. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired.
- Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
- If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again.
- If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.
- Bake at 350° until done (25-30 minutes)