MG New Year's Sweet Round Challah

A freshly cut wedge of this bread dipped in honey is an indelible taste experience. It is ambrosial and symbolic. You can also update the usual raisin 'faigele' or round challah with dried cranberries or sour cherries. I prefer Saf or Fermipan yeast for this majestic bread. If making a round bread seems a bit difficult then use this trick: braid it with three braids and tuck the ends of the braid into each other. Then place it in a 10 inch springform pan which will ensure it bakes up into a perfect round. Dough

1 1/2 cups raisins, plumped 
1 3/4 cups warm water 
2 tablespoons instant yeast 
1/3 cup sugar 
1/4 cup light honey 
3 1/4 teaspoons salt 
1/2 cup canola oil 
3 eggs 
6 to 7 cups bread flour 

Egg Wash and Finishing Touches
2 tablespoons water 
1/8 teaspoon each sugar and salt 
2 eggs 
Sesame seeds, optional
 

Plump the raisins by covering with hot (kettle) water and allowing to stand 5 minutes to plump. Drain well, dry and set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, stir together the water and yeast. Briskly stir in one cup of the flour. Then add the sugar, honey, salt, oil, eggs, and half of the remaining flour. Stir into a shaggy mass. Let stand 10-20 minutes to absorb flour. 

Knead, by hand or with a dough hook, adding remaining flour as required to make a soft and elastic dough (about 8-10 minutes). The dough should leave sides of the bowl. If it is sticky, add small amounts of flour until dough is soft but no longer sticks. (Note: if you find dough too bulky for your mixer, divide in two. Knead one portion at a time). 

Let the dough rest on a lightly floured board ten minutes, then flatten and press in raisins as evenly as possible into the dough, folding dough over raisins to "tuck" them in. Place dough in a greased bowl and put the bowl inside a large plastic bag to rise. Let rise until doubled and puffy looking, anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes. 

Divide dough in two. For "faigele" or turban-shaped New Year's challah, shape each section into a long rope (about 12-14 inches long) which is thicker at one end and coil it, starting with the thicker end first, tucking the end in on top to "lock". Or, you can divide each dough section into three ropes, around 14 inches long and make a traditional challah braid that you can then attach at ends and pinch to seal, making a braided round. (I also do two smaller round breads and bake each in a 9 inch layer cake pan to keep the bread's shape)

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and place bread on it.

For the Egg Wash, in a small bowl, whisk together egg wash ingreidents and brush the bread well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Let rise until puffy, around 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bake until bread is evenly browned. 35-40 minutes (depends on size of the bread - if it is one large or two medium ones). 

Makes one large or two medium loaves. Can be frozen baked or unbaked. If freezing unbaked, let bread rise slowly, overnight in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before baking.