Fresh From the Oven: Braided Challah Bread

Bread with tradition-Jewish challah bread was this month`s challenge in FFTO.
Dom from Belleau Kitchen really caught my attention with his lovely vignettes from  family life with cameo appearences of challah, so I instantly...did some google research :) and found dozens of modified recipes of this bread. In spite of that, I decided to completely respect Dom`s ingredient list:

• 1 sachet (7g) dried yeast
• 
  1tsp clear honey
• 250ml lukewarm water
• 50g melted butter
• 500g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs lightly beaten - in separate bowls - one for the mix and one for glazing
• sesame seeds, and some linen instead of poppy seeds

Combine the yeast, honey, milk and butter, stir and leave for 15mins to dissolve

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and one of the beaten eggs. Stir to make a dough. (It will be very sticky and will definitely need extra flour for kneading)

Knead till smooth and elastic (a good 15 mins) then transfer to a clean bowl, cover and leave to prove for 1 1/2 hours.

Here`s the moment when I did something different! In lots of recipes you`ll see that the braid is made of 6 equal parts. But how? That was the question that tangled me and I simply had to find the answer! I came across an excellent explanation here , and here`s what I managed to do:

When I finished making 6-braid challah, I let it rest for 30 minutes and then baked it for 40 minutes at 190 C.

Instead of conclusion-just like Khrushchev dough, challah bread with its challenging braids was more than pleasant surprise and will become regular inhabitant of my oven :)