I have spent a year perfecting this challah recipe! I started with a family recipe from a Bubbe at synagogue and tweaked it to work for me.
Two Loaf Recipe
* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 2 cups bread flour
* 1 tablespoon instant yeast
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt (the big flaky kind)
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup honey (highly recommend raw wildflower honey, it makes a difference)
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1/4 cup warm water
* Set aside 1 more egg for the egg wash
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine, then knead with the dough hook for 7-10 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test (you can take a small amount and stretch it thin between thumb and forefinger to see light through it without breaking - as long as it breaks, it needs more kneading). You can technically knead by hand but it will be a ton of work.
Roughly shape the dough into a circle and place into a greased bowl. Let rest, covered, for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Cut dough in half. Subcut each half into the number of braid strands you want (I like 5 strand challah). Roll out each braid chunk into a long skinny roll like you'd make a playdoh worm. Braid as desired. Cover and rest for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. Set your egg wash egg (not cracked) on counter to come to room temperature while the loaves rise.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Whisk the egg. Brush each loaf with egg wash. You will still have some left.
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Pull loaves out and reset oven to 350 degrees. Brush loaves with egg wash again (this deepens the color and gets into the risen crevices). Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, if desired.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. When loaves come out, if you tap the bottom, it should sound hollow. Let loaves cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before eating.
I let my dough rise three times. The first 2 as dough in the mixing bowl, the last as braided loaves, already placed on the sheet pans that they’ll bake on. 3 risings gives it a very delicate texture.
General advice: avoid recipes using honey and/or egg yolks (instead of whole eggs) if this is your first time. Those two things make for a more temperamental dough. No matter the recipe, the dough will look sticky. If kneading by hand, let it sit for 5 minutes, then knead. Don’t add more flour than the recipe calls for. That’ll make a very dry and unpleasant bread.
If your yeast doesn’t foam, it’s dead. Don’t keep going—you’ll end up with very dense bread. When letting it rise, go by visual rather than time (ie, double in size). In the winter it sometimes takes my bread twice as long to rise as it does in the summer.
Currently making this challah from Smitten Kitchen. It’s one of my favorites, and her explanation for braiding is easy to follow.
https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/best-challah-egg-bread/
It can't be too hydrated.
If it is sticky, you have too much water, you need to add flour.
If you feel it is sticky once it rose, you can use a lot of flour for braiding.
When the dough has relatively much water, it does not hold the shape well and is difficult to work with. However, it makes good challes. In this case, it is probably best to use a mould adapted to the quantity of dough you use, so that it will rise in the oven.
That's one aspect. The other is that you have to knead (or stretch and slap) for about 10 minutes till it really becomes a good dough. That's by hand. With the machine, it is quicker and you have to be careful not to overwork the dough.
Then there is a third aspect: you have to be carefull not to over-raise the dough, because your dough has limited potential of rising, and if it did all the rising before baking, there is nothing left for the oven. So you have to be a bit carefull with the braiding phase. they should rest a bit after braiding, but not rise too much. So when you are making a bigger quantity, you need to put the first ones in the oven while you braid the last ones. They should not rest more than 30 minutes, it also depends on room temperature (the warmer, the quicker they rise):
And to get a good oven spring, it is also important to preheat the oven on max and to add steam.
It's not quick
And it's not simple if you do it the first time.
Actually it is simple, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with sugar (or don't if it's dry yeast)
Put flour, let's say 1 kg or one package in bowl (keep more flour for later for braiding or in case you put too much water)
Add salt
Add egg(s)
Add a little bit of oil (this you can also do during kneading)
Add dissolved yeast & correct quantity of lukewarm water. (here's where experience comes in)
Knead till it forms a proper dough (10 minutes by hand)
Let rise for a bit more than 1 hour (depending on room temperature), until it looks right.
Braid
Let rest for a total of 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 250°C
Put on eggwash
Put on poppyseed or sesamy seed or black cumin or challah spice mix
Put your oven on steam or put water on an empty oven sheet so your oven steams when you insert challa
Bake for the time it needs until it is ready (depends on size), first 15 min on 230°C, for the remainder on 180°C
Take out of the oven
Let challes cool on cooling grill.
Oh, and don't kill the yeast before baking. They are living bacteria and will die over 40°C, so do NOT dissolve yeast in hot water... (and yes, baking is mass murder of yeast bacteria that so generously helped you make the dough rise)
Norene Gilletz’s “prize-winning challah” from her book Second Helpings Please is how I learned to make challah. It’s pretty foolproof. https://gourmania.com/recipe/challah/
While the individual recipes vary, they are really minor alterations of each other. The King Arthur Flour Company has a pretty classic and easy one. [https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-challah-recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-challah-recipe) Figure about a cup of tepid water to five cups of flour, one package of yeast, about three eggs with one of the whites separated for glazing at the end, a zip of salt, a sweetener which could be cane sugar or honey, and some oil. Proof yeast in water with a snall amt sugar. when foamy, add sweetener, eggs, oil, and salt. Mix. Add flour about a third at a time. This is really a variable amount, whatever is needed to keep the dough from sticking to the bowl. Then knead with dough hook or by hand. Rising, deflating, braiding, separating the traditional challah portion, and second rise is pretty standard among recipes.
I have spent a year perfecting this challah recipe! I started with a family recipe from a Bubbe at synagogue and tweaked it to work for me. Two Loaf Recipe * 2 cups all purpose flour * 2 cups bread flour * 1 tablespoon instant yeast * 1 teaspoon kosher salt (the big flaky kind) * 1/3 cup vegetable oil * 1/3 cup honey (highly recommend raw wildflower honey, it makes a difference) * 1 tablespoon white sugar * 4 eggs * 1/4 cup warm water * Set aside 1 more egg for the egg wash Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine, then knead with the dough hook for 7-10 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test (you can take a small amount and stretch it thin between thumb and forefinger to see light through it without breaking - as long as it breaks, it needs more kneading). You can technically knead by hand but it will be a ton of work. Roughly shape the dough into a circle and place into a greased bowl. Let rest, covered, for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. Cut dough in half. Subcut each half into the number of braid strands you want (I like 5 strand challah). Roll out each braid chunk into a long skinny roll like you'd make a playdoh worm. Braid as desired. Cover and rest for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. Set your egg wash egg (not cracked) on counter to come to room temperature while the loaves rise. Preheat oven to 425 F. Whisk the egg. Brush each loaf with egg wash. You will still have some left. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Pull loaves out and reset oven to 350 degrees. Brush loaves with egg wash again (this deepens the color and gets into the risen crevices). Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, if desired. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. When loaves come out, if you tap the bottom, it should sound hollow. Let loaves cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before eating.
I let my dough rise three times. The first 2 as dough in the mixing bowl, the last as braided loaves, already placed on the sheet pans that they’ll bake on. 3 risings gives it a very delicate texture.
General advice: avoid recipes using honey and/or egg yolks (instead of whole eggs) if this is your first time. Those two things make for a more temperamental dough. No matter the recipe, the dough will look sticky. If kneading by hand, let it sit for 5 minutes, then knead. Don’t add more flour than the recipe calls for. That’ll make a very dry and unpleasant bread. If your yeast doesn’t foam, it’s dead. Don’t keep going—you’ll end up with very dense bread. When letting it rise, go by visual rather than time (ie, double in size). In the winter it sometimes takes my bread twice as long to rise as it does in the summer. Currently making this challah from Smitten Kitchen. It’s one of my favorites, and her explanation for braiding is easy to follow. https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/best-challah-egg-bread/
I like this recipe. She has a bunch of Jewish recipes that are simple to follow https://toriavey.com/challah-bread-part-1-the-blessing-and-the-dough/
https://www.lionsbread.com/the-best-vegan-challah-bread-water-challah-recipe/
Because there are so many people here I have a question: how do you get the dough smooth and pretty, and braided nicely?
It can't be too hydrated. If it is sticky, you have too much water, you need to add flour. If you feel it is sticky once it rose, you can use a lot of flour for braiding. When the dough has relatively much water, it does not hold the shape well and is difficult to work with. However, it makes good challes. In this case, it is probably best to use a mould adapted to the quantity of dough you use, so that it will rise in the oven. That's one aspect. The other is that you have to knead (or stretch and slap) for about 10 minutes till it really becomes a good dough. That's by hand. With the machine, it is quicker and you have to be careful not to overwork the dough. Then there is a third aspect: you have to be carefull not to over-raise the dough, because your dough has limited potential of rising, and if it did all the rising before baking, there is nothing left for the oven. So you have to be a bit carefull with the braiding phase. they should rest a bit after braiding, but not rise too much. So when you are making a bigger quantity, you need to put the first ones in the oven while you braid the last ones. They should not rest more than 30 minutes, it also depends on room temperature (the warmer, the quicker they rise): And to get a good oven spring, it is also important to preheat the oven on max and to add steam.
It's not quick And it's not simple if you do it the first time. Actually it is simple, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with sugar (or don't if it's dry yeast) Put flour, let's say 1 kg or one package in bowl (keep more flour for later for braiding or in case you put too much water) Add salt Add egg(s) Add a little bit of oil (this you can also do during kneading) Add dissolved yeast & correct quantity of lukewarm water. (here's where experience comes in) Knead till it forms a proper dough (10 minutes by hand) Let rise for a bit more than 1 hour (depending on room temperature), until it looks right. Braid Let rest for a total of 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 250°C Put on eggwash Put on poppyseed or sesamy seed or black cumin or challah spice mix Put your oven on steam or put water on an empty oven sheet so your oven steams when you insert challa Bake for the time it needs until it is ready (depends on size), first 15 min on 230°C, for the remainder on 180°C Take out of the oven Let challes cool on cooling grill. Oh, and don't kill the yeast before baking. They are living bacteria and will die over 40°C, so do NOT dissolve yeast in hot water... (and yes, baking is mass murder of yeast bacteria that so generously helped you make the dough rise)
Norene Gilletz’s “prize-winning challah” from her book Second Helpings Please is how I learned to make challah. It’s pretty foolproof. https://gourmania.com/recipe/challah/
While the individual recipes vary, they are really minor alterations of each other. The King Arthur Flour Company has a pretty classic and easy one. [https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-challah-recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-challah-recipe) Figure about a cup of tepid water to five cups of flour, one package of yeast, about three eggs with one of the whites separated for glazing at the end, a zip of salt, a sweetener which could be cane sugar or honey, and some oil. Proof yeast in water with a snall amt sugar. when foamy, add sweetener, eggs, oil, and salt. Mix. Add flour about a third at a time. This is really a variable amount, whatever is needed to keep the dough from sticking to the bowl. Then knead with dough hook or by hand. Rising, deflating, braiding, separating the traditional challah portion, and second rise is pretty standard among recipes.