Best Homemade Challah Bread

Name: Challah Bread
Prep time: 210 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 245 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 cup of lukewarm water; 2 teaspoons of dry or instant yeast; 4 cups of flour; 1/4 cup of granulated sugar; 2 large egg; 1 large egg yolk; 1/4 cup of canola oil; 2 teaspoons of salt

With this Challah bread recipe, you’ll get Jewish bread that is soft, pillowy, and absolutely beautiful to look at! A mouthwatering breakfast and the perfect side to any dish!

European Cuisine

July 13, 2021

Difficulty Medium

Servings 8 people

Preparation 210 mins

Cooking 35 mins

Total 245 mins

Recipe Contents

Ingredients Directions Nutrition Equipments Tips

Ingredients

1 cup of lukewarm water
2 teaspoons of dry or instant yeast
4 cups of flour
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup of canola oil
2 teaspoons of salt

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve a sprinkle of yeast and a pinch of salt in some lukewarm water. Let the mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until a thin frothy layer forms on top.
Add flour, sugar, and salt to a separate large bowl. Combine these dry ingredients by using a stand mixer, whisk, or by kneading by hand.
In the center of the flour mixture, make a well and add the eggs, egg yolk, and oil to it. Whisk the three together to form a slurry, using only a little flour from the sides of the bowl.
Now add the yeast mixture to the egg slurry and mix everything together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a hard-to-mix shaggy dough forms.
Knead this shaggy dough in a mixer on low speed using the hook attachment for 6 to 8 minutes, or transfer it to a floured surface and knead by hand for around 10 minutes. Stop kneading once the dough is soft, smooth, and can hold a ball shape.
Transfer the kneaded dough to an oiled bowl and leave it covered with plastic wrap somewhere warm so that it can rise. Let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
Take the doubled dough and, depending on the type of braid you'd like to do, divide it into 3 or 6 equal pieces. Then, roll each piece of dough into an approximately 16 inches long rope.
Squeeze the dough ropes together at the top and start braiding. For a 3-stranded Challah, braid the dough ropes like you would braid hair or yarn. Squeeze the ends together and tuck under to finish. For a 6-stranded Challah bread, carry the right-most rope over the two ropes beside it, under the middle rope, and then over the last two ropes till it’s the furthest-left strand. Repeat till the end.
Place the braided dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle a little flour, and cover using a clean kitchen towel. Transfer to a warm area and leave to rise for about an hour until puffed and pillowy.
Add a rack to the middle of your oven and set it to 350°F. Whisk the reserved egg white with a tablespoon of water and brush the Challah with this mixture right before baking, making sure to get the sides and any cracks.
Bake the Challah for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the bread is deeply browned and reads 190°F in the middle with an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the best Challah bread you'll ever bake from the oven and leave it to cool on a cooling rack. Then, slice the warm bread and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Challah Bread

Serves 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories283

% Daily Value*

Protein 7.3 g14.6%

Total Fat 7.4 g9.5%

Cholesterol 490 mg163.3%

Sodium 232 mg10.1%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Tips

The thin frothy layer over the yeast mixture means the yeast is active and ready to use. If this fails to form or your yeast doesn’t dissolve, it is likely your yeast has expired, and you should buy some new one.
If the dough is too sticky when kneading, add a teaspoon of flour at a time until it’s less sticky but still a little tacky.
The dough ropes might shrink when you try to roll them. If that happens, allow them to rest for about 5 minutes to relax the gluten and try again.
To make the best challah bread, keep the dough braid as tight as possible and if it starts leaning towards one side, lift the loaf up to recenter it.
If your loaf is too long and skinny, plump it up by placing your left palm at the end of the braid and your right palm at the top and gently pushing the two ends towards each other.

Rate This Recipe

This easy Challah bread recipe makes irresistible braided bread that looks like a work of art and tastes utterly heavenly. And you know what’s even better? This recipe is simple enough for any beginner to follow and only requires a handful of easily available ingredients.

Equipment for this recipe

Mixing Bowls

Spatula

Stand Mixer

Baking Set

What Is Challah Bread?

Challah bread is a special kind of Jewish bread made by braiding long ropes of dough and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions. As for its origins, the name 'Challah bread' seems to have been coined in Austria, and the oldest mention of this traditional bread can be traced back to the 15th century.

How to Make Challah Bread?

Use this classic Challah recipe to make delicious Challah bread by combining the dry ingredients in a bowl, adding eggs, yolk, oil, and a mixture of yeast, salt, and water, and kneading to make a dough. Then shape the dough into a braided loaf and bake it.

What to Serve with Challah Bread?

Serve this 5 star Challah bread recipe with soup,salad, or dips like avocado, eggplant, and sweet potato. You can also slice the bread and serve it as Challah bread French toast, sandwiches, or stuffed toast. And use any leftover bread to make some gorgeous Challah bread pudding.

How to Store Challah Bread?

Store this best Challah bread in a bread bag at room temperature for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To store Challah bread in the freezer, transfer the completely cooled bread loaf to an airtight freezer bag and press down to remove any excess air. Then, seal the bag and freeze.

Recipe byPetite Gourmets