Whisk the yeast and 2 teaspoons of honey into the warm water, and let it stand for a few minutes, until foamy. In a large mixer bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the remaining honey, 2/3 cup olive oil, and eggs. Add the salt and flour, and mix until dough begins to hold together. Switch to a dough hook, and run at low speed for 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to an olive-oil coated bowl cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen turn it out onto a floured counter and divide it in half. Work the chocolate into the dough. The easiest way to do this is to roll out each half of the dough into a snake about two feet long and then flatten the roll with a rolling pin so that it is 6 inches wide. Place half of the chocolate in the middle of the dough and bring the sides together around the chocolate, trapping it in the middle. Press down on the dough so that the chocolate is attached to it it and there is no hollow space inside. Then roll the dough out to the desired length, approximately 5-6 feet. Repeat with the other half dough. If making a six strand braid cut each half into 6 pieces. For a woven braid cut each one into 4. Braid the challahs and place them on parchment lined baking sheets.

Beat the remaining egg until smooth, and brush over the challahs. Let the challahs rise for another hour, but 45 minutes into this rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Before baking, brush the loaf one more time with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in middle of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. It should be beautifully bronzed. If it starts getting too dark too quickly, cover it with foil for the remainder of the baking time. The very best way to check for doneness is with an instant-read thermometer — the center of the loaf should be 195 degrees.

Cool loaf on a rack before serving.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen