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1
for the vegetable-colored loaves: peel and dice beets and carrot.
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2
put beets, carrots, and spinach in separate saucepans with enough water to cover by 1/2 inch, and cook each until soft, adding water as needed to keep just under cover.
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3
in turns, puree each vegetable and its cooking water, adding water as needed to get 2 cups of liquid puree from each vegetable.
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4
you should now have 2 cups each of spinach, carrot and beet puree. let each cool to just barely warm.
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5
pour each puree into separate large mixing bowls, and put 1 2/3 cup water into a fourth mixing bowl for standard challah. these will be the 4 separate batches of dough.
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6
to each liquid add 1/2 cup oil, then 1/2 cup honey.
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7
hint: pour the oil just before the honey, and the honey will slip right out of the measuring cup.
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8
mix well, then add 3 eggs to each batch, and mix again.
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9
to each mix add 3 tsp salt, mix well.
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10
add 3 cups bread flour to each batch, mix until sloppy.
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11
add 2 scant Tablespoons instant dry yeast to each batch, mix well.
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12
continue adding flour (this is where I switch to all-purpose) to each batch until thick enough to turn out and knead.
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13
one at a time, knead each batch on a floured surface, adding more bread flour as needed.
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14
the dough has enough flour when it is feeling rather firm, bounces back when you press on it, and feels tacky but not sticky.
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15
when each batch is done being kneaded, put it back in its mixing bowl, coating the mixing bowl first with a little oil. flip the dough around in the oil to cover entirely with a thin film of oil.
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16
cover each batch with a large plate, or with heavy plastic wrap, and let sit 45-50 minutes in a warm spot to rise until approximately doubled in size.
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17
one at a time, flip each batch of dough onto floured surface, knead briefly, and cut and form 12 long strips for braiding. flour each lightly to keep from sticking.
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18
keep strands in a pile of each color, until all doughs are done being made into strips.
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19
you now have 4 piles of 12 strips each to braid.
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20
make 4-strand braids using one strip of each color. (to see a demo of this, GO TO-->).
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21
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tipTechniqueView.cfm?objectid=11754DCC-E8FC-4498-A0F52DD050659A71.
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22
put loaves on parchment-covered baking sheets, cover well with plastic wrap or with a large plastic tablecloth, and let rise 30-45 minutes in a warm spot, until doubled in size.
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23
add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup water to 3 egg whites and mix well.
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24
use egg white mixture to glaze loaves after rising is done, using a soft bristle pastry brush.
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25
bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, or until nicely browned and sounding hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf.
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26
cool on racks.
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27
freezes well.
