Perfect Potato Challah Food

PERFECT POTATO CHALLAH

Steps:

• Boil potatoes in water until tender; drain and reserve 3/4 cup potato-water (adding a little more water if necessary).
• Mash potatoes and set aside.
• Make sure potato-water is warm (about 115 degrees), and sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup potato water until bubbly (about 10 minutes).
• In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, salt, honey, butter, potatoes, yeast and potato-water. Beat hard with a wooden spoon until creamy.
• Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes.
• Add flour a little at a time until mixture forms a shaggy dough that clears the sides of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until springy.
• Brush a medium bowl lightly with olive oil. Place dough in bowl and brush surface lightly with olive oil.
• Cover bowl loosely with a cloth towel and let dough rise at room temperature until double in bulk (about 45 minutes).
• Meanwhile, lightly brush baking sheet with olive oil.
• Cut dough into three even pieces, rolling each into a rope. Braid together, beginning from the center.
• Place challah braid onto baking sheet, cover loosely with cloth towel, and let rise until double in bulk (about 45 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Make glaze: beat egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush all over top surface of challah braid. Sprinkle with seeds.
• Place in oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the center of the bottom.
• Cool completely on baking sheet.
• Enjoy!

CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let stand for 5 minutes.
• While yeast dissolves, set aside 3 tablespoons of the beaten egg to use for the crust for later.
• Grease a cookie sheet with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Set aside.
• Into the yeast/water bowl, beat in with a wire whisk the honey, butter, remaining eggs, salt and 2 cups of flour, gradually removing whisk and using hands to mix.
• Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 15-20 minutes until smooth, uniform and unsticky. Place kneaded dough into a buttered bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down risen dough and return it to floured surface. Knead 5 minutes and then divide into thirds.
• Knead each third 5-10 minutes, gradually transforming it into a 1 1/2 inch diameter snake. Line the three snakes up and let them rest for 10 minutes.
• Braid all three snakes, pressing in the ends and sealing them with water. Place braided dough onto prepared cookie sheet and let it rise again until doubled.
• Brush top of dough braid with the reserved beaten egg and then sprinkle top with more sesame seeds or mixture of sesame, poppy and salt, if desired. Bake at 375°F for about 30-40 minutes.