• Sift the flour. Sifting aerates the flour and makes for a lighter loaf.
• In a large bowl dissolve 12 tsp yeast mixed in 2 cups of warm water (1 cup hot and 1 cup cold is perfect) plus 2/3 cup of the sugar.
• When the yeast becomes foamy, add the flour to the bowl and knead.
• Lightly beat the egg together with the oil and salt and add to bowl.
• Add the remaining sugar and 2 1/2 cups of warm water and knead for about ten minutes.
• Add a bit more warm water as needed. The dough should be a bit sticky because the whole wheat flour needs more time to absorb the water.
• Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm place. Punch down the dough every 20 minutes for an hour. By this time it should be risen and ready for shaping.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. "Take challah" with a brocha*, shape and let rise. Coat with egg wash, seeds, etc . as desired.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the loaves/rolls) or until dark golden brown.

Tips

• When you remove the challahs from the pans, they will be very moist on the bottom due to moisture retention in the pan. Place them in a hot oven directly on the rack to dry them out and crisp them up.
• Feel free to add a handful (or two or more) of oatmeal, ground flax seeds, and raisins to this recipe. Sprinkle oatmeal and seeds on top, too, for a rich earthy look.
• *The flour in this recipe amounts to a total of five pounds.
• Contributed by:Happy Home
• For some, Shabbos means white challah, which is sometimes considered special, more eidel, more refined. But if you prefer a less refined (pun intended) browner challah-one that is a bit healthier, try this challah recipe that uses a lot of whole wheat and some other goodies.