Recipe: Tonya's Oatmeal Challah Bread

This recipe comes from a lady in my parents' Messianic congregation. It's delicious. Not a traditional challah loaf, still good but in a different way.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. boiling water
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon shortening

• 1 pkg yeast (or 1 scant tablespoon bulk yeast)
• 1/3 c. warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt

• about 5 c. flour

• one egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Pour 2 c. boiling water over 1 c. rolled oats, 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon shortening. Let stand till lukewarm (approximately 20 minutes) and while the butter and shortening melt.
2. Soften the yeast in the 1/3 cup warm water with 1 teaspoonful sugar added.  Let stand 10-15 minutes till yeast froths.
3. Mix 2/3 c. brown sugar and 1 teaspoonful salt with the lukewarm oatmeal mixture, then add the yeast mixture and stir.
4. Add most of the 5 cups flour and beat vigorously. When smooth, turn the mixture out onto a board floured with the remaining flour and knead lightly for about 5 minutes. Place in oiled bowl, cover loosely and let rise till doubled.
5. Punch dough down, divide into 6 parts. Roll each part into a long rope. On an ungreased cookie sheet, braid 3 ropes together into a long braid, then do the same with the other 3 ropes. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rise till doubled once again.
6. Brush both loaves with beaten egg.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Do not bake longer than 20 minutes or they will dry out.

Yields 2 braided challah loaves.

My notes: I did change a couple of things in this recipe, mostly to the process, not the ingredients.  When I made them I forgot all about the egg glaze, just tossed the raised braids into the oven, and they were still good, though the egg glaze would probably give it a crispier crust. Very moist loaves, the kids loved them.

I served this bread wrapped in a gorgeous linen bread cloth my sister in law Vania embroidered for me for my birthday.