Raisin Challah

4 cups warm water
2 Tbsps. dry yeast
4 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup honey
2 cups raisins (or less, to taste)
14 to 15 cups flour
1 Tbsp. coarse kosher salt

GLAZE:
1 egg, beaten
Poppy seeds

Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl. Stir in yeast, and then add eggs, oil, honey and rasins. Mix well and add about half of the flour. Stir well.

Let mixture rest 45 minutes to 1 hour until the yeast is bubbly. This is the first rising.

Add the salt and most of the remaining flour. Mix and knead on a lightly floured board, adding only as much flour as necessary to be able to handle the dough. The dough should be soft. You may let the dough rise again for 1 hour, if desired.

Separate Challah with a blessing. Divide dough, and shape loaves.

Place challah in greased pans and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Brush tops of loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour for loaves or 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks

USE: Baking sheets or loaf pans
YIELDS: 6 loaves or 4 loaves and 12 rolls