Put the yeast, 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and the raisins in the bowl of your processor or kneading machine. Run a couple of times to mix them together well. Add the eggs, and the oil, and run the processor to mix well. Then add the warm water and run the machine, adding as much more of the flour as required to reach a soft and smooth dough of that is just short of sticky, and holds a ball shape.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning it to coat and then cover loosely. Let it rise till double in volume for about 2 hours. Gently deflate the dough and divide into six equal portions. Very lightly dust your work surface (too much flour will make the dough difficult to roll) and roll each portion into a long rope that is 1" thick and about 12" long. If the ropes tend to shrink back while rolling, let them rest for about 10 minutes before rolling them again.

To braid the ropes, please see this video for detailed instructions first. Gather the ropes together and pinch them together at the top end. Then proceed to braid the dough according to the instructions in this video. After tucking both ends of the Challah underneath, plump it out slightly to give it better shape. Gently lift the shaped loaf and place it on a parchment lined baking tray.

Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for about an hour until puffy. Brush the dough with a mixture of honey and cream all over making sure all the folds and cracks are covered well. Bake at 190C (375F) for about 30 minutes till done and a deep golden brown. Let it cool till slightly warm and serve. The best way to apparently eat Challah is the traditional way where chunks are pulled off, but youu2019ll be forgiven if you want to slice the bread.