Spelt Flour Bread Machine Challah

I got a challah recipe from my husband and tweaked it to use spelt flour. This recipe makes a beautiful 2-pound braided challah. I like to divide the dough in 3; make two loaves and one little roll. I like to try different toppings each time I make this recipe, such as sesame seeds, dried onion flakes, granulated garlic, kosher salt, or flax seeds.

Original recipe makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup white sugar
2 cups white spelt flour
2 cups whole grain spelt flour
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 (.25 ounce) envelope dry yeast
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

PREP

20 mins
COOK

40 mins
READY IN

2 hrs 20 mins

Directions

Pour the water, olive oil, and eggs into a bread machine pan. Add salt, sugar, spelt flours, xanthan gum, and yeast. Place into bread machine and set to dough cycle. Check on the dough as it is mixing to ensure that it mixes well. Use a rubber scraper to scrape down the sides of the pan if needed.
When the dough has finished, remove and divide into 3 pieces. Shape each piece into an 18 inch long rope. Braid the three ropes together, seal the tips together, and fold under the loaf. Place the braided loaf onto a greased baking sheet, cover with a soft cloth, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Brush the loaf with beaten egg, and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Bake in preheated oven until the challah has turned golden brown, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 40 to 45 minutes.