While a loaf of braided challah is traditionally enjoyed on the Jewish Sabbath (in fact, the Sabbath begins with a blessing over challah), at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, this eggy bread is shaped into a round to symbolize the cyclical nature of the year.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 3 hr |
| Cook: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 2 round loaves (about 12 to 16 servings) |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 3 hr |
| Cook: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 2 round loaves (about 12 to 16 servings) |
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (1 pound, 1 3/8 ounces), plus up to 3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces) more for kneading
- 2 tablespoons sugar (7/8 ounce)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (1/4 ounce package)
- 1 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 whole large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, and yeast together in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
- Whisk the water and honey with 1 whole egg, all the yolks, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl and pour into the well. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon to make a soft, shaggy, moist dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand, adding up to 3/4 cup more flour as needed, until the dough is soft and supple, about 8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Brush a large bowl with oil and turn dough around in bowl to coat lightly. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead briefly to release excess air, re-shape into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half. Lightly dust hands with flour and roll each portion of dough into a 30-inch-long log. (If dough resists, then cover and let rest for 5 or 10 minutes before shaping). Spiral each length of dough around itself to form a coiled round loaf on the prepared pans. Lightly stretch the end of the coil and moisten it with water; gently press the end into the side of the round to seal the coil into a loaf. Press down on the loaves gently, cover with a kitchen towel and set aside until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Beat the remaining egg with a tablespoon of water and brush loaves evenly with it; sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired. Put the loaves in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees, and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the crown registers 190 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 119 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg |
| Sodium | 117 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 119 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg |
| Sodium | 117 mg |
Reviews
I only had one packet of rapid rise yeast left and wanted to bake Challa. This was the perfect recipe. I divided into four smaller loaves and they came out perfect and delicious. I will make this recipe again and again.
I’ve made challah for years but decided to try this recipe. Knowing bread making as i do I followed the recipe to the letter. My yeast was fresh (dated 2018) and refrigerated. However, my challah did not rise! Even after a second kneading the bread didn’t rise. I guess it’s doomed for the trash! A very expensive experiment!
MALLORCAN sweet BREAD… from the middle ages. The use ”moder starter’ and let it raise for 12 hrs. before baking.
This is one of the best recipes for challah that I’ve ever tried. Super-delicious and the honey gives a delicate sweet taste that is not too sweet and brings out such a depth of flavor in the bread–absolutely wonderful and so satisfying to eat! Great to eat just plain with no butter or anything spread on top and great for any kind of sandwich. The recipe is easier than it looks–it’s just time-consuming because of the 3 rising periods, but the actual work is simple. I used the dough hook on my KitchenAid mixer to knead the dough after kneading it slightly on a floured pastry cloth; then I added small amounts of extra flour as the machine did the kneading when the dough looked a little too sticky. I used up the extra 3/4 cup flour as stated in the recipe plus only a slight bit more after removing the dough from the mixing bowl. The only thing I’d warm you about is to read the instructions carefully about turning the oven down to 400 degrees after preheating to 450 immediately when you put the bread in the oven. I forgot to do that, but remembered after 10 min. of baking, so I then turned my oven down to 375.
This was soooo yummy! A little denser than what I would prefer, and much better hot than cold, but overall an amazing slice of bread. It was sweet and delicious. I love it the day after thanksgiving for turkey sandwich with some cranberry sauce. I was very pleased with the outcome!
The Amount of Flour required is different each Time due to the Weather.I do not recommend All wheat flour.Prehaps half wheat is a happy compromise.The Rising is longer for All wheat.Eggs may help being closer to room temperature by placing in warm water directly before using.Especially with a long rise Time.The Challah Crown is lovely.Know Your oven.If bakes fast,turn down by 25 degrees.Just watch it.
I am 69 years old, I am from Casablanca Morocco, I made this bread just about all my life. I also passed my recipe to my children, my grand children won grand champions twice. in my bread I use flour, sugar, cake or powder east, one egg. oil, and egg wash, I use stand mixer, or my hands when I can. I make 6 braded loaves for the Sabat and holidays.I also used your recipe and we all liked it.real easy.
We made this last night–my daughter, my husband and myself. We had a great time doing it, and it was fun. Our daughter wanted to find make Challah bread, and this was just perfect. The two crowns (Princess Leia hair) were wonderful. We cooked them for about 18 minutes, as people had suggested about 22 and our oven seems to run hot. They were perfect.
First and foremost, I used a bread machine to knead the dough.
When doing so, I used 2 whole eggs in the batter, but please remember to add the flour that was (in the original recipe) reserved for kneading (3/4 cup). The last egg is used to brush on top of the bread before baking. I pulled the dough from the bread maker, floured the counter and hands as the dough is very sticky. Keep the flour close at hand as you’ll need it.
This bread had quite a unique texture and flavor, and the poppy seeds although optional, are a perfect compliment to the crust. Not sure who said this was hard, I found it very very easy, and pretty. I will try it with wheat the next time ’round.
Sheri
I used wheat flour to make this bread and it turned out fantastic! It was light and delicious and healthy! I did have some problems getting it to rise and had to proof some more yeast and knead it in, but I think that was because I used old yeast. I’m going to try again and see how it works.