Recipe: Challah

¼ cup sugar 1 cup hot water 1 packet of yeast vegetable/canola oil 1 tsp salt 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
Cornmeal (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 cup of hot tap water.
2. When the sugar is dissolved, sprinkle one packet of yeast onto the mixture. Do not mix.
3. While the yeast is foaming, add 1 tsp vegetable/canola oil to another large bowl for later.
4. Once the yeast has foamed, add to it 1 tsp of salt & 3 tbsp vegetable oil and mix well.
5. Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour and mix until dough is formed.
6. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes, adding flour and water as needed.
7. Take the ball of dough and transfer it to the other bowl with the tsp of vegetable oil, using the dough to spread the oil around the bowl.
8. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let rise for one hour.
9. Uncover bowl and punch down dough.
10. Using flour as needed, knead dough for a couple minutes.
11. Divide the dough into three to four sections and roll each section into a strand about an inch in diameter.
12. Braid the three strands and place on a cooking sheet that is lightly floured (or better yet, sprinkled with cornmeal).
13. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
14. While the challah is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
15. After one hour total of rising, put the challah in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
16. Enjoy!

Recipe credit: Leora Chwalow (my mom) veganized this recipe from her synagogue. She doesn't use egg in hers anymore, because it tastes exactly the same!