Lavender Flower and Mint Challah Bread

Every Easter for the past few years, I have made a challah bread to share for Easter dinner. Even though I generally only make it once a year, challah bread is one of my most favorite breads because of its light texture and eggy flavor. This year I thought it would be lovely to add something different, something special to our Easter challah. I immediately thought flowers! The lavender gives the bread a delicate aroma and flavor and the sprinkled flowers on top look beautiful on the table.

What You'll Need:

• 2 packages of active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• ½ cup Lavender Flower and Mint Syrup, plus ¼ cup for the glaze
• 3 large eggs
• 5 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let is stand, untouched, until it is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the syrup, eggs, and 5 cups of flour, salt and butter.

2. BY HAND: Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. It will be VERY sticky. Pour the dough onto a floured work surface. Begin to knead the dough, adding the last ½ cup of flour as you go, until the dough is smooth and elastic. About 8 minutes

BY STANDMIXER: With the dough hook attached, knead on low speed. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour. Continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. About 8 minutes

This dough is VERY VERY sticky. Do not be tempted to add more flour, otherwise our challah will be tough. Trust me - I've made that mistake multiple times.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl with high sides. Cover with a damp, warm kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours until doubled in size.

4. Lightly oil a large, rimless cookie sheet, or cover it with parchment paper. Uncover the dough and gently punch it down. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Form the dough into a ball. Now you have a choice - you can make one huge loaf of challah, or two smaller loaves. For this recipe, I will be making two loaves. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the ball in half. Place one half back into the bowl and cover with the towel. Take the other half and cut it into 4 equal pieces.

5. Roll each piece into a long strand as shown below:

6. Arrange the strands on the baking sheet as shown below. Pinch the 4 strands together at the top.

7. Now comes the fun part - the braiding. Instead of writing a bunch of confusing steps, I've decided to share a series of photos for you to follow. Don't feel too much pressure with this part - even if you mess up, your bread will still look beautiful and I bet no one will even notice!

8. Phew! Repeat this process until you run out of length. At the end, pinch the four strands together as you did with the other side.

9. Cover the loaf with a dry kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour. If you are making 2 loaves, then repeat this whole process with the second ball of dough.

10. Preheat the oven to 350.

11. When the loaf has risen and almost doubled in size, paint the remaining ¼ cup of syrup over the top of the bread. Wipe away any excess on the cookie sheet with a paper towel. Sprinkle the lavender flowers on top.

12. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon on the bottom.