Challah with zaátar

I am obsessed with the earthy, tangy deliciousness called zaátar and what could be a better place for this amazing spice to shine than in the folds of a chubby challah for shabbat. Here is my favorite challah recipe adapted from the amazing Carine Goren with zaatar.
Ingredients:
- 300g organic bread flour
- 200g organic whole wheat flour
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup sugar 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup grapeseed oil
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in a stand mixer if you have one. Otherwise, throw everything in a large bowl and get kneading. Once the dough is even and smooth, place a bit of oil in a bowl, place your ball of dough on top and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
- Leave to rise for a few hours (this will depend on temperature and altitude, but 4 hours seems about right) dough should double in volume.
- Cut dough in 3 for an extra large challah or in 6 for two medium loaves.
- Place a couple of tablespoons of zaátar in a small bowl and mix well with olive oil.
- Roll out each segment into a long snake, it does not have to be perfect, I find that if I kind of pull at the dough, it lengthens very easily, and then rub the zaatar oil on the outer 2 snakes.
- Braid.
- Place on a parchment paper lined baking tray and rest for about an hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden on the outside and puffy in the center.
- If you want a shiny crust, baste with an egg and add a bit more zaatar or sesame seeds over the top.