In a small bowl, place yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 cup oat bran, flaxseed, salt, and sugar. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil and honey. Mix thoroughly.

Add another ½ cup of flour, ½ cup of oat bran, and eggs and mix until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.

Add another 1 cup of flour and ½ cup oat bran, mixing thoroughly, and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Dough will not quite feel firm yet, but that’s what you want. Knead remaining ½ cup flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 3 minutes. You can add slightly more than ½ cup flour if needed, but the dough should still feel light, otherwise your challah will turn out too dense.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Allow to rise at least around 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Braid challah into desired shape. Allow challah to rise another 45-60 minutes, or until you can see the size has grown and challah seems light. This step is very important to ensure a light and fluffy challah.

In a small bowl, beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Brush egg wash liberally over challah. Sprinkle with whole oats, whole flaxseed, and thick sea salt if desired.

For one large challah, bake around 27-28 minutes; if making two smaller challahs, bake 24-26 minutes.

Serve with Strawberry Rhubarb Butter.

Recipe published in JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller Magazine Shavuot 2015 SUBSCRIBE NOW