Challah Bread

1 ¾ C lukewarm water (I do half milk, half water)
1 ½ Tbl. Yeast
1 ½ Tbl. Kosher salt
4 large eggs
¾ C honey
½ C melted butter
7 C unbleached flour
Poppy seeds for the top

Combine the yeast and salt with half of the lukewarm water (and milk), and then the honey and melted butter.
Using a heavy duty stand mixer with a dough hook, start to mix in about 6 C of the flour. Add in the remaining flour and water slowly, until you get the desired consistency (you may not need all of the water). The dough should be tacky, but not sticky.
Place the dough in a bowl with a lid, but not airtight. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
Dust the surface of the dough with flour, and separate the dough into two equal pieces. Grease a cookie sheet. Take one of the pieces of dough and divide it into thirds. Roll the balls between your hands to form each into a long rope. On the prepared cookie sheet, braid the ropes, starting from the center out to the ends (This helps keep the loaf in a more uniform thickness.) Do the same with the remaining dough. Let the dough rise again for about 40 minutes.
20 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds.
Bake for about 25 minutes. The internal temperature of bread should reach 180 F. Allow to cool before slicing.
Makes two large loaves.

(Recipe thanks to "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" pg. 180, photo courtesy of Pirijo Silver)