Matcha Challah

I love playing with new challah creations. All it takes is a few tweaks to my staple challah recipe. For this weeks challah, and the first shabbas of the new year 2021, I wanted something festive with sprinkles and maybe a little healthy and green. That’s where matcha comes in. Matcha green tea lattes are so delicious! The matcha gives the challah a green hue and you can taste the earthy green tea. Plus, matcha has many health benefits, like antioxidants, but that’s not why I chose it for this week. 
What you will need:2 tbsp yeast1/2 cup sugar1 1/3 cup warm water1/3 cup oil2 eggs1 tsp salt1 tbsp matcha powder4-4 1/2 cups flourRainbow sprinkles
Directions: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, sugar, and water, stir to combine. Add the 2 eggs and mix the eggs with a beater attachment. Then add the oil and mix together again. 
With the mixer on the lowest speed, add flour cup by cup until the dough starts forming a ball and pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl. At this point, swap out the beater attachment for a dough hook and add the salt and matcha powder. Keep adding flour cup by cup until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch. In total this should be roughly 4 cups of flour. 
Knead the dough together by hand to make sure everything is incorporated together. 
Place the dough back in the bowl and cover the top of the dough with a thin layer of oil and cover with a wet towel. 
Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, this should be about an hour, or in the fridge up to 24 hours. 
Punch the dough down and let it rise for another hour. 
At this point, you are ready to form the challahs. I like to do simple 4 strand braids. 
Once all of your challahs are formed, let them rise for an additional half hour, or up to an hour in colder weather. 
Top each challah with egg wash (one egg with a little bit of water) and some rainbow sprinkles. 
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.  Enjoy!