Ingredients

4 cups Very warm water

4 packets Yeast

1.5 tablespoon Sugar

5 eggs

1 tablespoons salt

2 cups sugar

5 tablespoons Vegetable oil

1 3/4 cup All-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 sticks Cold butter/margarine pieces

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 egg

2 Beaten Eggs for Egg Wash

Preparation

Put warm water and sugar in a mixing bowl (preferably the one you’ll be using to add the rest of the ingredients). Then add yeast, gently stir and wait until foamy (5-10 minutes)

Once foamy, slowly add the eggs, salt and sugar to the bowl. Then interchange oil and flour to bowl and mix with kneading hook.

Knead well. It’s better to add less flour and have it drop sticky then too much flour which makes it too dense.

Pour into a large, oiled bowl. Cover with cling wrap and allow to rise 1-1.5 hours in proofing oven/drawer. Allow it to double in size. Check after on hour

Punch down and let rise 30 minutes, covered, again.

Preheat oven 350º

After challah is done rising, split the dough evenly in half (or in quarters depending on the size of the challahs you want to make.) Set the others aside covered while you work on the first one. Divide section into four logs (round) or three pieces (traditional braid.) Roll each piece into a snake and then flatten.

Sprinkle crumb topping inside each flattened piece, then pinch close. Gently roll again to seal in filling. Repeat with other pieces and then braid, forming into a circle or traditional.

Repeat with other sections of challah. Add other ingredients if you’d like, like apples, chocolate chips, raisins, etc. Keep reserve topping for final step

Place each challah on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

Allow challah to rise another 30-60 minutes.

While Challah is rising, preheat oven to 350º.

Brush each challah top with beaten egg wash. If you want, you can also lightly sprinkle topping on the top of the challah at this point. Or you can leave off. Either way, it’s tasty.

Bake challah for about 30 minutes until top is lightly brown and sounds hollow when tapping.