The Mitzvah of Taking ChallahI was privileged to benefit from the guidance of Mrs. Rochel Miller of Jerusalem in developing the ideas in The Majesty of Challah and The Challah Recipe. Mrs. Miller has been learning and teaching womens' mitzvos for over a decade. I am very grateful for her ongoing devotion to this subject and eagerness to help me. May Mrs. Miller continue, in strength, in her mission to bring Jewish women to greater appreciation of our inheritance. Understanding the measurements which require taking challah, either with or without a blessing, is essential to observing this mitzvah. Rabbinic advice is encouraged. If your dough contains 5 pounds of flour and the majority of the liquid in your recipe is water, you will safely be able to separate challah with a blessing:
Blessed are You, Lord our
“Ha-ri-zeh challah” (This is challah) Always dispose of challah according to halacha, Jewish law. 
Please check with your rabbi and the following resource for a complete guide to proper observance of the mitzvah of hafrashas challah. Resources:
Link here to Star K website for a fuller explanation
To learn about shaping dough in the manner of your grandmothers, see A Blessing of Bread by Maggie Glezer, Artesian 2004. It is a well-researched baking guide to traditional Jewish bread baking throughout the Diaspora.
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