Challah Bread is a Jewish braided bread that is served on Shabbat and special holidays. This bread is different from a typical bread as the dough is enriched with eggs and oil which makes the bread incredible soft and tastes absolutely amazing. While baking it gets a deep golden color that makes the bread simply irresistible.
This type of bread was adopted by other countries all over the world, called in various names like kalach, kalacs, colac and so on. Challah can be braided in different ways, using a different number of strands. The 6 strand challah looks really impressive and is probably the most used braiding method that is usually served on Shabbat. Round Challah is usually served on special holidays like Rosh Hashanah, which is Jewish New Years and may symbolize the circle of life. The round challah can be enriched with raisins for blessing the beginning of a new year.
Being such a delicious bread, Challah has become popular to non jewish people as well, and leftover challah can be used in preparing various delicious treats like french toast, bread pudding, croutons or breadcrumbs.
If you like homemade bread recipes this is a must try for you. It is so relaxing and the result so satisfying that worth all the effort. Let me know if you try it out, and enjoy!!
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Challah Bread (Round Challah and 6 Strand Challah)
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500g) , bread flour or all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 ½ tsp (7g) salt
- 25 g fresh yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast)
- 1 tsp (5g) sugar , for dissolving yeast
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1/3 cup (65g) canola oil
- 2/3 cup (160ml) water , lukewarm
Topping
- 1 egg , beaten
- sesame , flax
- raisins , optional
Instructions
- Prepare challah dough. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
- In a medium bowl stir fresh yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar until it liquefies. Dissolve yeast with lukewarm water and pour over the flour mixture.
- Add beaten eggs and oil and start kneading it until it pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Give the dough the shape of a ball. Sprinkle oil onto a clean bowl, place the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 1-2 hours at room temperature (warm space) until doubled or tripled in size.
- For Round Challah. On a greased surface transfer the dough and divide into 4 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into 4 equal strands, about 16 inch (40cm) each.
- Lay two strands vertical next to each other.
- Place the other two horizontally over and under the vertical ones.
- Choose one direction and take the strands that are under and cross them over the strand on the right.
- Repeat the process in the opposite direction.
- Take the ends and pinch them together and tuck under the loaf.
- Transfer round challah to parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Brush the bread with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds/ flax seeds/poppy seeds etc if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly before serving.
- For 6 Strand Challah. On a greased surface divide dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll into 6 equal strands, about 16 inch (40cm) each.
- Pinch them together on top.
- Start braiding using this rule “Over two, under one, over two” always starting with strand on the right.
- Repeat this process until you reach the end of the bread.
- Pinch the ends and tuck them under the loaf.
- Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Brush the bread with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds/ flax seeds/poppy seeds etc if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
wow ! delicious
I made the Challah braid and it is delicious…I will certainly make this recipe again. Thank you for sharing..
So!
The bread is baking and filling the entirehouse with a beautiful aroma-0 in a pinch- I’ve found out that frying a bit of the dough makes amazing donuts too!
Thank you so much for the recipe!
Will be trying this very soon (before Rosh Hashana!), but would like to ADD raisins – when is the BEST time (before the 2-hour rest / proof or AFTER the 2 hour proofing); also many ppl use HONEY rather than sugar – I assume that would be the same in terms of amount??
I have made this several times and is delicious. However, I am wondering, you say add yeast and sugar together until it liquifies but how would it liquify without the water since you mention to add it afterwards. I normally mix the sugar and yeast together and then add the warm water to liquify. Is this what you mean? Thanks
If you use fresh yeast instead of dry yeast, the fresh yeast with sugar liquifies, and then you can add water or milk. If you use dry yeast, you simply add sugar and water or milk to the dry yeast, all at once, and let it rest for 5 minutes until it is dissolved. Glad you enjoyed this bread. We love it too.