INGREDIENTS FOR BREAD
Flour (800g)
Fine Salt/Kosher Salt (10g)
Sugar (90g)
Fresh Yeast (15g) / Dry Yeast (45g)
Vegetable Oil (60g)
Ice Cold Water (360ml)
Egg (1)

BREAD GARNISH INGREDIENTS
Black & White Sesame Seeds (3 tbsp)
Pumpkin Seeds (3 tbsp)
Linen Seeds (3 tbsp)
Sunflower Seeds (3 tbsp)
Za’taar (3 tbsp)
Caraway (1 tsp.)
Sea Salt (1 tbsp)
Egg Wash (1)

STEP 1: THE DOUGH

Prepare and scale the ingredients into 2 different sections. The dry ingredients and the liquid ingredients.
In the mixing bowl, place all the liquid ingredients in first (Water, oil, egg,
fresh yeast).

Next, place all the dry ingredients into it (flour, salt, sugar, and dry yeast if
you don’t have fresh yeast available).

Equip the mixing bowl with the dough/bread hook and begin mixing it in slow speed for 3 minutes. Later on, increase the speed to medium and let it mix for 5 minutes.

After that, the dough should be relatively elastic and shiny on surface and not sticking to the mixing bowl anymore.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly, flour covered container. Cover the dough with a damp towel and set it aside to rise. Let the dough rise until double in size. (about 45 minutes).

Later on, remove the cloth and flatten the dough slightly and start folding it inward with your fingers and let them rest for 20 minutes. Then repeat this process again.

This is to remove the gas within the dough and improve its structure. Now the main dough is ready to be made into 2 different shaped Challah Bread.

Now is a good time to pre-heat the oven
to 185°C.

STEP 2: THE THREE BRAIDED CHALLAH BREAD
Separate 3 pieces of 250g dough from the main dough and put it aside.

Start with the first piece of dough and start rolling it slowly with your hands into a 30cm long dough roll. With each end skinny instead of the same thickness as the roll.

After all 3 rolls are prepared, start by starting moving the first roll, with its
skinny edge and placing it on top of the second roll’s end, forming a tiny X shape with two rolls’ end – forming a perfect 90 degree of space between the first and second roll.

Then place the third roll, again starting with its edge, place on top of tiny
X, edges of the first two rolls, in the middle of them. You should have 3
rolls’ edge stack on top of one another. Each roll is 45 degree away from one
another. Pinch the end and start braiding carefully. Pinch the other end once it’s braided.

Once braided, place the braided dough carefully on a parchment paper lightly coated with oil. Then, coat the dough thoroughly in its each creases and surface with the egg wash. Then scatter the seeds, each kind in its own surface of braided part of the dough. The egg wash should be coated generously enough to ensure the seeds stick with the dough. Then, lightly scatter some sea salt flakes on top of the braided dough.

Leave the Three Braided dough aside and now move on to the Round Braided Challah Bread.

STEP 3: ROUND BRAIDED CHALLAH BREAD
Divide the main remaining dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 4 equal strands, about 30cm each.

Lay two strands vertical next to each other. Place the other two horizontally
over and under the vertical ones. Choose one direction and take the strands
that are under and cross them over the strand on the right. Repeat the process in the opposite direction. Take the ends and pinch them together and tuck under the loaf.

Then, as before, coat the dough with egg wash and coat it with Za’taar and caraway.

Once braided, place the braided dough carefully on a parchment paper lightly coated with oil.

STEP 4: BAKING
Put both dough it in the oven with a tray of water placed under the tray of bread and bake for 25-35mins.

Remove the bread out of the oven and serve. As per a classic Middle Eastern
tradition, do break the bread by hand instead of using a knife.