Kitchenaid Challah

Pour 4 1/2 cups warm - not hot - water in the kitchen aid.
Add 4 Tbsp. yeast (if you buy the strips, each packet has 2 1/4 tsp. I'll leave the math up to you but I buy
bulk yeast available at food service clubs). Turn the mixer on to med. - low. Let it froth, about a half
minute.
Keeping the mixer going, add
5 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 2/3 Tbsp. salt
5/8 cup oil (up to 2/3 is fine, so don't obsess)
Another 3/4 - 7/8 c. warm water.

At this point the recipe calls for adding 6 -7 cups flour, mixing, then turning into a bowl to knead by hand.

I pour in most of a 5 lb. bag, add the liquid mix and knead, adding more flour. Usually I end up using the
whole bag and another cup or so, the kneading takes no more than 10 minutes, usually a little less.
Pour a spoon or two or three of water on top, turn dough to coat. (I do this instead of oil. This is what
the recipe calls for.) Cover.

Let rise till double.

FOR LOAVES:
Grease 5 standard loaf pans. Take challah with a bracha. Divide dough in 5 parts. Braid, put in each pan.
Let 3 of them rise, covered, outside the fridge for about 45 minutes - 1 hour. Put other two in fridge right
away, covered with greased plastic. After the risign, glaze the three with egg. Bake at 350 for half an
hour. Take out, put in other two.

FOR FREESTANDING (cookie sheet or rolls*)

Punch down after first rising. Let rise again. Take challah, grease cookie sheet. One standard cookie sheet
makes 3 challah. I guess you could put the other two in a cake pan. The recipe calls for baking longer, and
for the first 10 minutes at a higher temp. I don't usually do it this way so can't get more precise.

BTW, I make rolls after either rising, comes out fine.