SERVES 5

• 2.2–3.3 lbs (1–1½ kg) all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups lukewarm water
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 4 Tbsp sugar, plus 1 tsp to mix in with the yeast
• 2 eggs, plus 1 more yolk for the egg wash
• 1 Tbsp salt
• ¼ cup sunflower oil
• vegetables and herbs, for decorating

Pour the water into a big mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp sugar and carefully dissolve the yeast in the water.

Once bubbles start to appear on the surface of the water, pour in about a third of the flour, followed by the two eggs, the rest of the sugar, the salt, and the oil.

Get your hands into the dough and combine the mixture, adding flour little by little as you go, until you get a big ball of dough. Once the dough no longer sticks to your hands, it's ready for kneading. You may not need all the flour to get to this point.

Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour, tip your dough out onto it, and knead for5–10 minutes, adding a bit of flour if it gets too sticky. Separate challah at this point, without a brachah.

Drizzle a little bit of leftover sunflower oil around the mixing bowl. Place the ball of kneaded dough back inside and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about an hour and a half or until it has doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, give it a little punch to knock the air back out of it.

Place it back on the floured work surface and knead it, with a bit of flour if needed, so that it’s ready to shape. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a thin, flat rectangle, then cut long, thin strips of dough with a knife and braid the dough using three strands of dough at a time. Make sure to hide a key wrapped in foil inside one of the braids. Shape the braids into a key shape as shown in the photo.

Cover the dough with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise again for half an hour to one hour. Towards the end of this time, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)and prepare the egg wash. Spread the egg wash generously over the challah with a pastry brush.

Decorate the challah with vegetables and herbs in a pretty design (as shown in the photo).

Bake the challah for 25–30 minutes at the bottom of the oven. You may need to cover the challah with foil at around 20 minutes if it’s getting too brown and crispy.

Reprinted with permission from Allegra Benitah, the Challah Mummy
(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 737)