Raisin Challah recipe

Hi everyone!

firstly, thanks to all of you who joined in the Shabbat lunch last week, i hope you enjoyed yourself, i certainly did! This week at playgroup we will be making cards for Rosh Hashana, for those who missed out and hopefully we will have the shofar factory come , some time in the next two weeks, on a sunday, to make real shofars with the kids.. i will keep you posted when i have it confirmed! hope to cu u this thursday

below is last weeks challah recipe..the best so far!! so i have heard....

Raisin Challah

4 cups warm water
2 tbspn dry yeast
4 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup honey
½ cup sugar
2 cups of raisins (or to taste)
14-15 cups flour
1 tbspn salt

Glaze: egg whites and poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Method:

Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl. Stir in yeast, and then add eggs, oil, sugar, honey and raisins. Mix well and add about half of the flour. Stir well

Let mixture rest for 45 minutes (covered with a damp cloth)-an hour, until the yeast is bubbly, this is the first rising.

Add the salt and most of the remaining flour. Mix and knead on a lightly floured board, adding flour only as necessary to be able to handle the dough. The dough should be soft. You may let the dough rise again for another hour if desired.

** Mitzvah of ’Hafrashat Challah’- Separate Challah “Before you take the Challah, you have to say the Bracha
"ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וציוונו להפריש חלה- then take a fist size portion in your hand and say the blessing and burn it. ( read below for more details.)

Place Challah in greased pans and let rise for 45-60 minutes

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Brush tops of loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour for loaves or 30 minutes for rolls. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

** The Mitzvah of Hafrashat Challah, separating Challah, is one of the three Mitzvot entrusted especially to the Jewish woman. This Mitzvah embodies the belief that all of our sustenance comes truly to us through G-d’s Hand. Just as we may not use the dough unless we have separated Challah, so too a portion of our livelihood is always reserved for the giving of charity which is given freely — “of the first and the best.”
Our sages tell us that observing this Mitzvah “will cause a blessing to rest on your house.”
Challah is separated before the dough has been divided and shaped into loaves.