Honey Whole Wheat Challah

1. Combine 1 cup bread flour, 2 1/8 cups warm water, and yeast in a large bowl into a thin batter; let stand until frothy bubbles appear, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3 eggs, vegetable oil, honey, and salt until well combined. Beat in whole wheat flour and remaining 2 cups bread flour, alternating flours by cupfuls, until dough is too stiff to stir in more flour.

2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed to form a slightly sticky dough. Form dough into a round shape; place in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat a few times to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.

3. Punch down dough and knead a few times to remove some gas bubbles; cut into 3 equal-sized pieces. Set two dough pieces aside, covered by a cloth to prevent drying out while preparing loaves.

4. Cut remaining dough piece into 3 equal parts; transfer to a floured surface and roll parts into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand on the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand). Take the strand farthest to the left and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until loaf is braided; pinch ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat cutting and braiding with remaining 2 dough pieces. Place braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; let rise until doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   

6. Beat remaining 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; brush over braided challah loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

7. Bake in the preheated oven until tops are a deep golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottoms, about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Cook's Note:

If you need to slow down the rising process—for example, if you make the dough on Wednesday evening but want to bake it on Thursday evening—after you've placed the dough ball in the bowl, refrigerate it until Thursday morning. This should slow the yeast's growth so that you can leave it out on the counter until it's ready for the next stage in the late afternoon or early evening.