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1
Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup water and set aside. It will soon start bubbling.
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2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, 2 cups of water, oil and salt. Mix.
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3
Add the eggs and the yeast mixture and mix well.
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4
Add 4 cups of flour, and mix well again. Add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
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5
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead knead knead. (If you are doing this in a mixer, just knead in the mixer.) When it is smooth and elastic, it is done. You may need to add a little extra flour or water to get it to that earlobe consistency. You can add the raisins here if you'd like.
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6
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rise until doubled in size.
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7
Punch down, knead another few minutes, and return to the bowl for another rising.
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8
Divide into thirds (by cutting with a knife; don't pull), and shape into loaves.
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9
Heat oven to 350u00b0F
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10
Place each loaf in a prepared pan or on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg/water mixture, and sprinkle with seeds if you wish.
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11
Bake for about 45 minutes. When done, the loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
