Challah - easy but needs lots of time - make 2, freeze 1

I found this recipe on the internet and because it was developed by the Montreal B'nai Brith Women, District 22, 1968, I assumed that it must be a good one. Delicious. Hubbie says that it's better than any store-bought bread!

assemble these ingredients:
2 TB instant yeast
1 C warm water, 110-120 degrees F
1 tsp sugar for proofing
1/4 C sugar
4 cups bread flour, more as needed
2 tsp salt
1/2 C canola oil
2 eggs for dough
1 beaten egg for glaze
poppy or sesame seeds for topping

Oven temp: 365 degrees F

Yield: 2 loaves, 40 oz of dough, enough to make 20-2 ounce rolls to be baked 20 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Using a food processor, change to dough blade.

Proof the yeast: dissolve yeast in water adding tsp sugar. It takes about 5 minutes to develop small bubbles and become foamy.

In the processor bowl, first the flour, sugar, salt. Turn processor on and add water/yeast mixture, oil and 2 eggs, all at once. If the liquid is not immediately incorporated into the flour, turn off and scrape down sides and turn on again. Knead the dough in the processor for a total of 2 or 3 minutes, adding more flour in 1/4 C portions, until the dough feels like your ear lobe.
Per Cuisinart, sweet dough is fully kneaded 30 seconds after all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Rub the inside of a bowl with a little oil and put the dough inside loosely covered with a piece of oiled plastic wrap. Let rise for 1.5 hours or until the dough has doubled. Keep the dough in a warm (70 degrees F or higher) place. In winter, you can put the rising dough in the microwave with a small towel keeping the light on and door closed. Another internet suggestion, is to place the dough bowl on the counter while the dishwasher is running.

The recipe says that the kneaded dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, leaving room for the rise in a well covered bowl.
To use, punch down the dough, cover and bring it to room temperature. Continue with the recipe.

Each time wou punch down the dough or when you form loaves, use your palms, not finger tips, to keep the dough elastic and smooth.

Punch down dough, cover and let double again. (2nd rise). Punch down dough, divide into 2 parts, then 3 braids each. Roll the braids back and forth on the counter with your hands until they are about 10" long. Braid each set of three into a loaf. Press the braided loaf gently with your whole hand into a log shape to get rid of any air pockets. Spray a loaf pan with vegetable oil or prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Put the loaves in the prepared pans and cover with warm, damp towels for the 3rd rise, when they double in size, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 365 degrees F now so it's very hot when the loaves are ready to bake.

When nearly double, the loaves are ready to bake. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds, if desired.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Fully baked loaves are brown on top and bottom.

It's better to use the upper third of the oven per the 1968 recipe. If you need both oven racks, rotate the loaves after 15 mins. Let the loaves rest for 5 mins. after baking, then remove from pans and cool on a rack for 10-15 mins. Completely cooled loaves can be frozen in a double layer of aluminum foil or double-bags in plastic. Defrost at room temperature, in the foil or bags and discard the wrapping after defrosting because of the condensation.

Note: I used 2 pkgs of yeast, 4 2/3 tsp. Next time I'll try 6 tsp, 2 TB. I also tried 4 TB King Arthur dough enhancer ( 1 TB per cup of flour). This product relaxed the dough so it could easily be braided into any shape. Next time I'll try 2 TB. I thought that four TB might have relaxed the dough too much, preventing a higher rise.