Challah Bread Recipe

How To Make Challah Bread

Challah is a bread that is as much a pleasure to look at as it is to eat.

Serving Size: Serves 10

Nutrition Facts: Saturated Fat 1.0 g, unSaturated Fat 0.0 g, Carbohydrate 46.0 g, Sugar 5.2 g, servingSize Serves 10, Protein 7.3 g, Fat 7.4 g, calories 283 cal, Sodium 232.0 mg, Fiber 1.6 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the egg wash)
• 1/4 cup neutral-flavored vegetable oil, such as canola

Instruction:

1. Dissolve the yeast. Place the water in a small bowl, sprinkle with the yeast and a healthy pinch of sugar, and stir to combine. Let stand until you see a thin frothy layer across the top, 5 to 10 minutes. This means that the yeast is active and ready to use. (If you do not see this or if your yeast won’t dissolve, it has likely expired and you’ll need to purchase new yeast.)
2. Mix the dry ingredients. Place 4 cups of the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. (Alternatively, use a large bowl and knead by hand.)
3. Add the eggs, yolk, and oil. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs, egg yolk, and oil. Whisk to form a slurry, pulling in a little flour from the sides of the bowl.
4. Mix to form a shaggy dough. Pour the yeast mixture over the egg slurry. Mix the yeast, eggs, and flour with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a shaggy dough that is difficult to mix forms.
5. Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes. Fit the mixer with the hook attachment and knead on low speed for 6 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes.) If the dough seems very sticky, add flour a teaspoon at a time until it feels tacky, but no longer like bubblegum. The dough has finished kneading when it is soft, smooth, and holds a ball-shape.
6. Let the dough rise until doubled. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place somewhere warm. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
7. Divide the dough and roll into ropes. Divide the dough into 3 or 6 equal pieces, depending on the type of braid you’d like to do. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 16 inches long. If the ropes shrink as you try to roll them, let them rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten and then try again.
8. Braid the dough. Gather the ropes and squeeze them together at the very top. If making a 3-stranded challah, braid the ropes together like braiding hair or yarn and squeeze the other ends together when complete. If making a 6-stranded challah, the directions are below.
9. Let the challah rise. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the braided loaf on top and sprinkle with a little flour. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place away from drafts until puffed and pillowy, about 1 hour.
10. Brush the challah with egg white. About 20 minutes before baking, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. When ready to bake, whisk the reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon of water and brush it all over the challah. Be sure to get in the cracks and down the sides of the loaf.
11. Bake the challah 30 to 35 minutes. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the challah is deeply browned and registers 190°F in the very middle with an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes total.
12. Cool the challah. Let the challah cool on a cooling rack until just barely warm. Slice and eat.

Challah Bread

Challah is a rich and slightly sweet pillow-y bread that is traditionally served every week for the Sabbath and major Jewish holidays. Anyone can make it, though…and should! Despite its incredibly impressive look, preparing it is quite easy. And absolutely delicious.

Prep: 20min

Total: 200min

Yield: 28

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: Carbohydrate 28 g, Protein 4 g, Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 35 mg, Sodium 261 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 4 g, calories 168 kcal, unSaturated Fat 2 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 cups lukewarm water ((around 110°F))
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (, divided)
• 7 cups all-purpose flour (, spooned and leveled (plus more if needed))
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 4 large eggs (, beaten)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (, melted (see note below for kosher alternative))
• vegetable oil
• egg wash ((2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons water – you may not need it all))
• poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds (, for topping)

Instruction:

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and add the 1 tablespoon sugar. Let bloom and a frothy layer develops on top; about 5 minutes. (If the yeast doesn’t foam, it isn’t good anymore. Toss it and start over.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the 7 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and melted butter. Mix together with a wooden spoon, pulling in a little flour at a time from the sides of the bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture. Mix to combine until a shaggy dough is formed.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 6-8 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, work in a teaspoon of flour at a time until the dough is smooth, pliable, not wet, and holds a ball-shape.
4. Divide dough evenly in half.
5. Lightly oil the inside of two large bowls. Place dough inside each one; cover with plastic wrap in a warm, draft-free place. Let rise until doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.
6. Working with one mound of dough at a time, punch down dough and separate into 3 equal parts. Roll each piece of dough into long ropes about 16 inches long and 1-inch thick. (If the ropes shrink as you try to roll them, let them rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten and then try again.) Gather the 3 strands and squeeze them together at the top. Then snugly braid together as if you were braiding hair and squeeze the bottom ends together when done to secure. (For visual help, see pictures included in the article.)
7. Repeat with the other mound of dough.
8. Gently transfer each braid to parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover with a clean dish towel and allow to rise until double in size and pillowy, about 1 hour.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the center position.
10. Brush both loaves all over with the egg wash, making sure to get in the cracks and along the sides of the loaf. Sprinkle one loaf with some poppy seeds and the other with some sesame seeds, if desired.
11. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until deep golden brown and registers 190°F in the very middle with an instant-read thermometer.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until just slightly warm. Slice and enjoy on its own or with a slab of butter!

Classic Challah

This deep-gold, light-textured bread is traditionally served on the Jewish Sabbath and other holidays. The dough is wonderfully smooth and supple, making it an ideal candidate for braiding. The simplest way to go is a three-strand braid; but feel free to try the slightly more complex four-strand braid, or even a six-strand braid, which makes a striking presentation. The inspiration for this recipe comes from Lora Brody, cookbook author, photographer, and long-time King Arthur friend. This recipe has been amended as of 3/16/21 — please see the details in “tips,” below.

Prep: 20min

Total: 3h50min

Yield: 16

Serving Size: 58g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 58g, calories 180 calories, Carbohydrate 28g, Cholesterol 35mg, Fiber 1g, Protein 5g, Sodium 230mg, Sugar 4g, Fat 6g, Saturated Fat .5g, Trans Fat 0g

Ingredients:

• 4 to 4 1/4 cups (480g to 510g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup (170g) water lukewarm
• 6 tablespoons (74g) vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons (63g) honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk (white reserved for the topping)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9g) salt
• 4 teaspoons (12g) instant yeast
• 1 large egg white (reserved from above) beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
• poppy seeds or sesame seeds for sprinkling; optional

Instruction:

To make the dough: Weigh 480g of flour; or measure 4 cups by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. , Combine the flour with the rest of the dough ingredients. Mix and knead them by hand, mixer, or bread machine, until you have a soft, smooth dough. If the dough is very sticky, add an additional 1/4 cup (30g) of flour., Allow the dough to rise in a plastic wrap-covered bowl for about 2 hours, or until it’s puffy; it won’t necessarily double in bulk., Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface., Divide the dough into pieces, the number depending on what kind of braid you want to make. You may braid the challah the traditional way, into a three-strand braid; for helpful tips watch our video, How to braid a three-strand loaf. For a fancier presentation, make a six-strand braid; watch our video, How to braid a six-strand loaf, to see how it’s done. To make a four-strand braid, see shaping instructions in our blog post about making four-strand braided challah. , Once you’ve decided which braid you’re doing, divide the dough into the appropriate number of pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 20″ long. If the dough starts to shrink back as you roll, cover it and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then resume rolling. The short rest gives the gluten a chance to relax., Braid the loaf. Remember, for three- or six-strand braids, watch the videos linked above. For a four-strand braid, see the step-by-step photos of how to make a four-strand braid., Gently pick up the braided loaf, and place it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet., Cover the loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until it’s very puffy, 60 to 90 minutes. Toward the end of the rising time, place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 375°F., To make the topping: Whisk together the reserved egg white and water. Brush the mixture over the risen loaf. Sprinkle generously with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, if desired., Bake the challah on the oven’s upper rack for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it’s a deep golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F., Remove the challah from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool., Storage information: Store any leftover challah, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. While challah does tend to dry out after a day or so, it’s always good toasted, or made into grilled sandwiches or French toast.

How to Make Challah Bread | Best Challah Bread Recipe | Easy Challah Bread Recipe |

FAQ

What makes challah bread different?

What flour is best for challah?

Why do Jews bake challah?

What is the point of challah?