Challah
Challah is one of my favorite breads in the world, it is the perfect soft, pull-apart texture on the inside with a super nice crust! I grew up with challah bread, having it on holidays and, not going to lie, whenever I could find it. And so, when I learned to make it myself, I was absolutely addicted.
The process for the bread is actually super simple, it just takes a little while to put together. You start by putting nearly all the ingredients in a bowl, then taking it through a few times kneading and resting, then bake! It does take like 4- 4 1/2 hours, but it is totally worth it.
This recipe is also super versatile because it can be made in a bread machine, if you have one. All you do is throw all of the ingredients into a bread machine, set it on the dough setting, then follow along from the braiding steps below. And, even if you don’t have a bread machine, the version by hand is just as good.
The uses for challah are endless: sandwiches, french toast, croutons, bread pudding, or even just enjoying it with some jam! It is truly worth a try if you have some extra time and are craving some delicious, soft, fresh bread.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water + 2 tbsp
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup oil
- 4 cups bread or all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, beat two of the eggs. Start by adding to a bowl (in this order) 1 cup water, the 2 beaten eggs, honey, oil, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. There is no need to mix at this point, just cover the unmixed ingredients in the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 25 minutes. This helps activate the yeast for the kneading process. If you are using a bread machine, just add the listed ingredients into a bread machine, and use the dough setting. Skip to Step 6 for the shaping process.
- Rest the dough in a warm spot, be it the corner of your kitchen or some other part of your house. A good idea is to put the bowl with your dough into a turned off and closed oven, which will provide a good environment for it.
- After the 25 minutes have past, mix the ingredients in the bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough mostly comes together, about 2 minutes.
- Then, spill the dough and any bits that haven’t been combined onto a table or counter top. Sprinkle down some more flour if the dough starts to stick. Knead for about 12-15 minutes (12 for a stand mixer, 15 for kneading by hand, manually), until when you gently press down on the dough it bounces back. It should feel smooth overall, and be one cohesive dough ball with a little bit of resistance when you push it down.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for one hour, until it’s at least doubled in size.
- After the dough is done resting, take it out onto the counter top and punch it down, knocking the air out. Knead for roughly two minutes, then place it back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for another hour, until doubled in size.
7. Take the dough out onto the table and punch it down. If you did the dough in a bread machine, this is where you would follow along with the recipe. Divide the dough into two sections, one that is 1/3 of the dough, and one that is 2/3 of the dough. Set the smaller section (1/3) aside, and work with the larger 2/3.
8. Divide the 2/3 of the dough into three sections. Working with one of them at a time, roll each of those into an 18”-20” log. Once you have three, put them all side by side and pinch them together on one end. Then, make a three strand braid. Bring the right strand over the middle strand, then bring the left strand over the new middle strand, then the right, and so on until you pinch the ends together at the end of the braid. Set aside.
9. Taking the 1/3 section of the dough, divide it into three and roll each section into a thin 24”-26” log. Braid into a three strand braid following the same directions as the shorter, wider braid. Then, place the thin, long braid on top of the braid we did earlier. Make sure it is even and there is the same amount of the long braid hanging over the ends of the shorter braid on both ends. Tuck the overhanging long braid under the short one on both ends.
10. Place the challah loaf onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let rest for one hour until doubled in size.
11. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a small bowl, beat together the remaining egg and 2 tbsp water. Using a brush, gently brush the challah with the egg wash. Then, sprinkle with your sesame seeds or poppy seeds. You can also leave it plain.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until the challah is a deep golden brown. Let it cool at room temperature for at least one hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Challah
Ingredients
- 1 cup water + 2 tbsp
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 cups bread flour or all purpose
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp yeast active dry or instant
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, beat two of the eggs. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (or in the bowl/container inside a bread machine) add the ingredients in the following order: 1 cup water, the two beaten eggs, honey, oil, flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
- If using a bread machine, place the container in and set it to the dough setting. Skip to step 8. If not, follow along.
- Without mixing, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 25 minutes. See blog post for reccomendations about where to rest your dough.
- After 25 minutes, stir the dough with a spoon until it mostly comes together. Dump it out onto your table or counter and knead by hand for 15 minutes, 12 minutes if using a stand mixer.
- Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and rest for 1 hour. The dough should be doubled in size.
- After 1 hour, punch down the dough to knock out the air and dump it back onto the table. Knead for about 2 minutes, then place back into the bowl, cover, and rest for an additional hour (until doubled in size).
- Dump the dough out of the bowl and punch it down. Split it into two sections, one that is 1/3 of the dough and one that is 2/3. Set aside the smaller section.
- Taking the 2/3 of the dough, divide it equally into three and shape each section into an 18"-20" log. Create a three-strand braid by pinching one of each of the ends of the strands together, then bring the right most strand over the middle strand, then the left most strand over the new middle strand, then the right, left, and so on.
- Continue until you've braided all the way down the three strands and then pinch the bottom ends together. Set aside.
- Taking the 1/3 section of dough, divide into three and shape each into a 24"-26" log. Create a three-strand braid like described for the 2/3 of the dough. You should end up with one wide, shorter braid and one thin, longer braid.
- Place the thinner longer braid on top of the shorter one, making sure the braid is hanging over equally on both ends. Tuck the ends underneath the shorter braid.
- Place the challah loaf onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let rest for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a small bowl, beat together the remaining egg and the 2 tbsp water.
- Using a brush, gently brush the egg wash onto the challah. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, or leave plain.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until it is a deep golden brown. Let it cool down at room temperature for at least an hour before slicing, then enjoy!
Notes
- Macros: 14 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 3 g protein
- See the blog post above for more detailed instructions about kneading, resting, and shaping the challah (step by step pictures included).