Challah is a rich, soft, slightly sweetened bread considered to be a blessing in Jewish households. The name is descriptive of the loaves of bread left for temple priests in ancient times. Challah is traditionally baked two loaves at a time to signify the double portion of manna that fell from heaven on Friday to provide enough food to last through Saturday’s Shabbat.
The shape of challah bread is simply mesmerizing to me. If you search “ways to braid challah“, you will see gorgeous examples of the many ways challah can be braided. While most loaves are simply braided, challah can be braided into beautifully intricate shapes and even formed into wreathes, hearts and round loaves too.
The dough for challah is fairly simple to make and braiding tutorials are very easy to find online. I follow the Challah Prince on instagram to find braided inspiration and direction. Once you have a plan for your loaves, it is time to start making the dough!
Let’s get started…
Although a loaf of challah bread looks too beautiful to be simple, it is just as simple as any other bread recipe to bring together. Later in the recipe, your braiding skills will be mildly tested, but other than that, the ingredients are very similar to every other typical bread recipe. You will need 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, 1 envelope of active dry yeast (7 grams), 1/4 cup of oil, 1/3 cup of honey, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 large eggs and 5-6 cups of all-purpose flour.
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Begin by adding 1 1/2 cups of warm water into a large bowl. Everything comes together in the same bowl, so be sure to choose a large one. This water should be between 100-110 degrees fahrenheit or feel like warm bath water. Whisk a teaspoon of granulated sugar and an envelope of active dry yeast into the warm water and let it sit for about 10 minutes. This will give the yeast time to wake up or “bloom”. You will know that the yeast is ready when it smells fragrant and has formed foamy bubbles over the top surface of the water.
Once the yeast has bloomed, add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of oil, 1/3 cup of honey and a pinch of salt.
Whisk until everything is fully combined and slowly begin adding the flour…
Switch to a silicone spatula and mix the flour to combine as you add. Adding a half cup of flour at a time seems to work best and since we are working in the bowl, use the spatula to scrape up the dough that is on the bottom of the bowl and dust some flour under it to begin creating a kneadable ball of dough that is pulling away from the surface of the bowl.
Today, I am using a classic 6 strand braiding method, so I have divided each half into 6 equal portions.
Roll each portion into long narrow rolls on a floured surface, place them beside each other and pinch the tops together and begin braiding.
Once your braid is complete, tuck the top and bottom of the braid under to form neat, rounded ends and transfer the loaf onto a non-stick, parchment lined or flour dusted baking sheet.
Repeat the process with the other half and cover the braided loaves with a light kitchen towel. Let the loaves rest for 45-60 minutes in a warm place and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes on the middle rack of a 375 degree oven. The challah is fully baked when it is deeply golden brown and the under side of the loaves sound hollow when they are tapped on. If you have a kitchen thermometer, the best way to tell when your bread is fully baked is to keep it in the oven until it reaches 190 degrees.
If your bread is getting too dark, but still has some time to go in the oven, fold a sheet of foil in half to form a little tent and set it over the loaves to slow the browning process down.
Once the loaves are fully baked, transfer them onto cooling racks to cool fully before slicing.
I love brushing melted butter over the top surface of challah as soon as I bring them out of the oven. This step is optional, but it helps to create an incredibly flavorful, soft crust that I love.
Before you slice up your loaves of challah, soften some butter and maybe drizzle a little honey over it. Cut yourself a nice thick slice and smother it with honey butter.
Challah is soft, tender, flavorful and perfectly sweet. It is by far one of my favorite types of bread. Not only is it amazing on it own, but it also makes fabulous bread pudding, stuffing, croutons and french toast. Its soft texture soaks up egg, butter and custard beautifully and the sugar in the dough caramelizes very nicely.
From its beautiful appearance to its tender, buttery flavors, challah is very special and I cannot wait for you to try this fabulous bread.
Challah
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of warm water (between 100-110 degrees)
- 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
- 1 envelope of active dry yeast (7 grams)
- 5-6 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup of canola or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 large eggs
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons a pinch of granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add 1 envelope of active dry yeast to 1 1/2 cups of warm water along with a teaspoon of granulated sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of oil, 1/3 cup of honey and a teaspoon of salt and whisk to combine
- Begin adding flour, a half cup at a time mixing as you go, until a wet dough begins to form
- Knead the dough in the bowl, gradually adding flour until you have a soft and just slightly sticky dough brought together
- Transfer the dough into a large lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 90 minutes to 2 hours
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 2 equal portions
- Divide the halves into 6 equal portions and roll each portion into a rope about 18 inches long
- Gather the ends together and braid the loaf by bringing the outer ropes into the middle until the entire loaf is braided
- Tuck both ends under to give a rounded, neat appearance and transfer the loaf onto a non-stick, parchment lined or flour dusted baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with a light towel and allow the loaves to rest in a warm place for 45-60 minutes
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Brush the loaf with a whisked egg and 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar and bake on the middle rack at 375 degrees for between 30-35 minutes or until the top of the loaf is a deep golden brown (if your loaves are becoming too dark, lightly tent them with foil)
- Transfer the challah onto a cooling rack until fully cooled
- Store in an airtight plastic container or plastic bag for up to 5 days
