Challah
I love bread a lot… actually it’s my biggest weakness! Just the smell of fresh baked bread is enough to trigger my appetite even when I’m not hungry. Somehow though, I’m able to control myself by not baking it too often. When I have people over, I do bake some – the same applies with desserts!
Making bread is easy but it’s wiser to progress slowly. I don’t recommend trying to make Sourdough on your first attempt. I worked up my bread making skills by going one step at the time.
My first was a quick bread and I made Banana Bread. From there, I ventured on to making Biscuits, Naan, Popovers and Focaccias. Gradually, I moved up to Baguettes, Dinner Rolls, Olive Bread, Brioche Bread, Hamburger & Hot Dog Buns, until I got to this “level”… Challah!
This is an incredible recipe to make! The flavor is so delightful! It’s soft, moist, slightly sweet, tender and absolutely delicious! The taste is similar to a Brioche Bread. The difference between the two is Challah is made with oil while the other is made with butter, making it richer.
This bread, as you probably know, is typically eaten on most Jewish holidays and celebrations such as Sabbath. The nice texture comes from the double rising and proofing of the dough. With a gorgeous golden crust, there’s no doubt why this moist, eggy bread is served on those occasions.
It’s not complicated to achieve this beautiful 6 string-braided bread. The most important thing to do first is to have 6 equal sized pieces and using a kitchen scale is the best way to go. From there, we have to roll them all out to 18-inches long, letting the gluten rest when it starts to retract.
Braiding 3-strand dough is quite easy. The same applies with 4 and 5. When it gets to 6, it’s a little bit more difficult at first but after making it a couple of times, it’s actually quite simple. Just remember that every time you move a braid down the middle, another one has to replace it. In the video, I slowly demonstrate how it’s done.
I love Challah! It’s a delicious food vessel for sandwiches, pairs very well with many dishes and it’s absolutely perfect for making French Toast! At your next celebration or dinner party, this is the perfect bread to serve to your guests… I’m sure they will be quite impressed with it!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious bread recipes…
– Panettone
– Cheddar Biscuits
– Pineapple Banana Bread with Coconut & Macadamia
– Cheesy Breadsticks
– Christmas Stollen
– Hot Dog Buns
and for even more International recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Bread
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Challah
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water (between 105º to 110ºF)
- 5 tbsp. honey, divided tips & tricks
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose four, plus more for the work surface
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- 2 large free-run eggs
- 1 large egg yolk, white reserved
- 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more to grease the bowl tips & tricks
- 1 egg wash (reserved white whisked with 1 tbsp. water)
- 1 tsp. poppy seeds (substitute sesame seeds or kosher salt), or as needed
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, water and 1 tbsp. honey; stir and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour and salt; whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine eggs, yolk, oil and the remaining 4 tbsp. honey; beat until well blended and set aside.
- Add egg mixture and flour mixture (reserve ½ cup) to the yeast . With the dough hook attachment, process on speed 1 until mostly blended then increase to speed 3. Add 1 tbsp. of flour at a time until the dough clings to the hook, cleaning the sides of the bowl until slightly tacky and springy.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and with greased hands, form a ball by pulling it under. Place it in a large oiled bowl and move it around to coat with oil. Cover with a clean dish towel and move to a draft-free area such as an unheated oven. Let it rise for 1 ½ hours.
- Remove from its spot and knock the air out. Cover and return to its draft-free spot for its second rise, another hour.
- When time is up, transfer to a lightly floured work surface and punch it again. Sprinkle on more flour and knead for 2 minutes, adding flour if it’s too greasy.
- Form a ball by pulling under, weigh the dough and then cut in half. Cut each half in 3 equal pieces (weigh each of them on a kitchen scale) and form a ball by pulling under.
- Flour a large surface such as a counter or table and, working one at a time, form an oblong shape. Roll each piece with even pressure until it reaches 18 inches. If the ends retract, let the gluten rest a few minutes before working with it again.
- When the 6 braids are done, gather the ends at the top, pinch and squeeze them together so they stay in place.
- Take the right braid and fold it over the top to the left. Take the left braid and fold it over the top on the opposite side. Separate the 4 remaining braids in groups of two, leaving a space in the middle. Take the left braid and place it down the center. To replace it, take the 2nd braid on the right and fold it across the top again. Creating a space in the middle, bring the top right braid to the center. To replace it, take the 2nd braid from the left and place it across the top. Then take the top left braid and place it down the middle; replace it with the 2nd braid on the right, crossing over the others. Create a space in the middle and bring the top right braid down the center; replace it with the 2nd one on the left. Continue with the same pattern until the end is reached.
- When you run out of braids, gather the remaining ends. Squeeze them together and fold them under nice and neat. Do the same with the other end where you started.
- Carefully transfer the braided dough to a large baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Cover and move it back to its draft-free spot for 45 minutes.
- When time is up, remove from its spot.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Brush on the egg wash making sure to get all the nooks and crannies and sprinkle on some poppy seeds. If there are any spots where the seeds don’t stick, brush on a little bit more egg wash and sprinkle on some more seeds.
- Transfer the bread to the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Halfway through baking, rotate the pan.
- Remove from the heat and carefully place it on a wire rack to cool off.
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