Challah is beautiful, but it’s good looks serve as a supporting roll to the subtly sweet, buttery flavor that this loaf is loved for.
A Jewish enriched bread traditionally baked for Shabbat, Sabbath dinners and around the holidays, Challah is a delicious bread that can be served with dinner or used to create the best french toast, croutons or bread pudding.
If baking a loaf that will wow your friends and family with both its stunning good looks and fantastic flavors sounds like something you would like to do then you need to give this Challah a try. You are going to love this loaf.
Let’s get started…
We are going to begin by making a quick starter dough. This starter will help add layers to the flavor and tenderness of your challah, plus it only needs to rest for 45 minutes, so you don’t need to start this dough the day before like many other recipes call for.
Whisk 100 grams of bread flour and 7 grams of instant yeast into 235 grams of warm water and set it aside for 45 minutes. It should get all bubbly and foamy before we add it into the rest of the dough.
While the starter dough is getting to work, combine 435 grams of bread flour, 12 grams of salt, 50 grams of a neutral oil, 65 grams of granulated sugar and 3 large eggs into a large bowl or your stand mixer.
After 45 minutes has elapsed, add it to the rest of the ingredients and start mixing.
As the dough comes together, use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that all of the dry ingredients get incorporated into the dough.
Knead on medium speed or with a good strong forearm until the dough feels smooth, springy and slightly tacky. Transfer the dough into a lightly oil bowl, cover the bowl tightly and rest the dough in a warm place until it doubles in volume. This should take about 90 minutes.
Once the dough has proofed, transfer it onto a lightly floured surface to start shaping…
When it comes to shaping challah bread, you have so many options. I am not a professional bread braider (I can barely braid my own hair to be honest), but there are so many amazing challah braiding and shaping tutorials on line that can inspire you to create something as simple or as complex as you feel like challenging yourself with.
Today, I am creating an 8 strand round braid.
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- Step #1 – divide the dough into 8 equal portions
- Step #2 – shape each portion into a smooth rough ball and then roll each portion out into a long rope
- Step #3 – if you want to coat some of the strands in sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning (my personal favorite), roll the strands over a damp paper towel or mist them with some water and then roll them in the coating of your choice
- Step #4 – place the strands in a cross pattern in pairs of 2 gently lifting some to begin your braid
- Step #5 – in the photo below, you will see that I started pulling the tail ends of the groups of 2 over their neighbors in a clockwise pattern. I did this until I made it all the way around the loaf and then did a final trip around counter clock wise to close up the circle
Tuck the edges underneath and transfer the loaf onto a parchment lined baking sheet or into a lightly greased cast iron skillet.
Cover the loaf with a light kitchen towel and rest in a warm place for 60 minutes.
Once it is nice and puffy, bake your beautiful challah in a 375 degree oven for 34-36 minutes or until the loaf is deeply golden brown with an internal temperature of 190 degrees. Let the loaf cool fully before slicing.
Challah is rich and tender, so this higher hydration amount requires full cooling before slicing. I know this patience is going to test your greatest abilities, but slicing into a loaf of hot challah can end with a gummy, oddly textured bread that feels underbaked and this simply will not do. Let it cool and you will be in good shape.
Whether you are baking challah for Shabbat, Hanukkah or just a lucky Sunday afternoon, you are going to love this loaf.
Cheers and l’chaim!
Challah
Ingredients
The Starter...
- 100 grams of bread flour (about 3/4 cup)
- 235 grams of water, warm (1 cup)
- 7 grams of instant yeast (1 envelope)
Main Dough
- 435 grams of bread flour (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 12 grams of salt (2 teaspoons)
- 50 grams of a neutral oil (1/4 cup)
- 65 grams of granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
- 3 large eggs
Garnishes
- egg wash (1 egg whisked with a teaspoon of water)
- white sesame seeds
- everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
Make the starter dough…
- Whisk 100 grams of bread flour and an envelope of instant yeast into 235 grams of warm water and set aside for about 45 minutes
Start the main dough…
- In a large bowl (if working by hand) or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 435 grams of bread flour, 12 grams of salt, 50 grams of a neutral oil, 65 grams of granulated sugar and 3 large eggs
- Once the starter dough has sat for 45 minutes, add it in with the other ingredients and mix until a dough begins to form
- Knead (either by hand or using a dough hook) until the dough is smooth, springy and supple
- Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and rest in a warm place for about 90 minutes
- Lightly deflate the dough and transfer it onto a lightly floured surface
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions
- Roll the portions out into long ropes
- If coating strands in sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning is desired, roll 4 of the strands over a damp paper towel and then coat in sesame seeds
- Braid into your desired shape or platting pattern
- Transfer the loaf onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with a greased plastic sheet or light kitchen towel and rest in a warm place for about 60 minutes
Prep and bake the challah…
- Preheat your oven to 375°
- Use a brush to apply egg wash over the dough that is not coated in sesame seeds
- Bake the loaf in a 375° for 36-38 minutes or until it is deeply golden and feels set to a light touch with an internal temperature of 190°
- Transfer the loaf onto a cooling rack to cool fully before slicing
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