L'Shanah Tovah and a Recipe for Challah

This year, with all the craziness of adjusting to our new lives in Ohio, we just couldn't make it back to New Jersey for the holiday. Tonight we'll be bringing in the new year with the family of one of Steve's co-workers, a warm and welcoming home, but without Mimi's special touches.

When the mailman rang the doorbell, I had no idea what a special treat he was carrying. You should have seen the delight on Juliette's face when she pulled back the aluminum foil to find the golden hued bread she associates with her Mimi. I was already tearing up when she said, "Mommy, we have to wait for Mimi before we eat it."

Ingredients:

2 packages of dry yeast

2 cups of water (just slightly warm to the touch)

1 TBSP of salt

1/4 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of oil

1/3 cup of honey

4 eggs

6 or more cups of unsifted bread flour (to start and then add more until the dough is smooth and not sticky)

Dissolve 2 packages of yeast in 2 cups of lukewarm water. Let stand 5 minutes.While waiting, put salt, sugar, and first cup of flour in bowl of mix master and stir to blend with fork. Add water/yeast mixture. Start mixmaster going on medium speed with dough hook.Add oil, honey, and eggs gradually with intermittent cups of flour, mixing constantly until smooth and elastic.Turn onto dough onto board. Make a well in the middle and fill with some flour. Knead the dough incorporating the flour around the edge as needed until dough is smooth and not sticky.Put into greased bowl. Cover bowl with thin dish towel and put in slightly warm oven with a small bowl of hot tap water. Let rise 1 hour.Punch down dough and cut in half to form 2 loaves.Cut each half into 2 pieces about 1/3 and 2/3. Then cut each piece into thirds. You should have a total of 12 pieces - 6 small and 6 large. Roll each piece into a long rope.Take three long pieces and attach at one end. Braid. Set aside. Repeat with the other three long pieces.Take three small pieces and attach at one end. Braid. Set aside. Repeat with the other three short pieces.Lay one short piece braid over one long piece braid and pinch to bind together. Repeat with other two braids. You now have your two Challahs.Beat one egg yolk with 1 TBSP of water. Brush each challah with the yolk mixture. Let rise for about 1/2 hour as oven preheats to 375 degrees.Bake for 30 minutes in oven.