Challah ii, part 1 of 2

-----------------------------------DOUGH-----------------------------------
    1/2 oz yeast (active),
           -dry (2 packages)
      2 c  Water, warm
      4 ts Salt
    1/2 c  Sugar, granulated
      3 lg Eggs
    3/4 c  Vegetable oil
           -(up to about 1/4 cup
           -more, to taste)
      9 c  flour, all-purpose
           -(more if needed)

-----------------------------------GLAZE-----------------------------------
      1 lg Egg
           Sesame or poppy seeds
 
  Mix yeast in warm water.  Let sit 5 minutes.  In a large bowl combine salt,
  sugar, eggs and oil.  Add yeast mixture.  Slowly add flour, stirring until
  not too sticky. When the dough becomes too thick to stir, turn it out onto
  a floured board and knead, adding flour as necessary. Scrape the working
  surface with a plastic dough spatula from time to time, to keep a dry skin
  from forming on it.  You may find that you need more flour, but don't add
  too much more, or the dough will become heavy. Knead until the dough is
  smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
  
  Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning to
  coat the dough with oil.  A ceramic bowl is best.  Cover the bowl with a
  clean cloth and leave in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 1 1/2 hours,
  or until doubled in bulk. After the dough has risen, punch it down and
  divide it into 6 balls. Let the dough balls sit for 5 minutes, covered.
  
  Keeping dough balls covered while working, remove a ball and roll it
  between your hands (or on working surface) into a cord about 1 inch wide by
  about 20 inches long. The dough is quite elastic, making it nicely
  workable, yet also tending to make it shrink back slightly after being
  lengthened.  I find it best to lengthen it in a series of passes. Form 3
  cords this way, and then start from the middle and braid them into a single
  loaf.  Tuck the ends under. It's a little harder to figure out how to start
  braiding from the middle, but the loaves come out more even and attractive
  that way.  Don't pull the cords while braiding. Place the loaf on a lightly
  oiled baking sheet, and cover it with a cloth while you form the other
  loaf.  Keep the loaves well apart on the baking sheet, since they will
  expand a lot.  Cover the loaves and place again into a warm, draft-free
  place to rise for 45-60 minutes.
  
  After the loaves have risen, gently brush the tops with beaten egg using a
  soft brush, and then sprinkle with the seeds.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for
  30 minutes, or until golden brown.
  
  : Continued in Part 2
  
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