Hallah

Serves the whole congregation

In Texas, Ema used to make the hallah for the Kiddush in the beit knesset (the modified Lutheran church). For special occasions; Nachman's Bar-Mitzvah, Reuven's brit, etc. she made the Hallah with raisins and colorful candies (at least that is what I recall)...

Ingredients:

2	Cakes fresh yeast or packets of dry yeast
1/4 cup	lukewarm water
1 Tbs.	Sugar
2 cups	water
1/4 cup	oil or margarine
1 Tbs.	salt
3	eggs
1 Kg	bread flour (approximately)
1	egg, beaten (or just the yolk)
3 Tbs.	sesame or poppy seeds

Preparation:

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and 1 Tbs. sugar. Set aside.
In a pot on the stove, warm two cups water with 1/4 cup oil or margarine, and 1 Tbs. salt. Cool to lukewarm.
Mix together the yeast mixture with the oil mixture and add 3 eggs. Mix well.
Stir in flour while mixing by hand or dough hook attachment in the mixer. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough.
Cover with dish cloth and let rise to double size in a warm place. In Texas, Ema put the dough to rise in her bed, under the "perene".
Punch down and let rise again to double size. "if Shabat comes in early, you can put the oven on low and stick it in - not in a plastic bowl - and it will rise faster.
Knead the dough on a floured surface, cut into 3 pieces. Roll each piece out into long ropes, and braid them "like you braid your daughters hair"
Carefully place on a greased pan (or lined with paper), cover and let rise approximately an hour.
Brush top with beaten egg. Sprinkle with seeds (poppy or sesame).
Bake in a 100 degree oven, till golden brown.

Note: For Rosh Hashana Hallah, increase sugar in step 1 to two tablespoons and add a handful of raisins in step 3. In step 9, sprinkle with colored candies.