Challah Bread
An eggy yeasty delicious Jewish bread that is good with a bit of butter or even as French toast
Equipment
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 3½ tsp active dry yeast
- ½ cup sugar need extra 1 tbsp for yeast
- ½ cup olive oil
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tbsp salt
- 8 cups flour
- 1¾ cups warm water ~40°C
Instructions
- In large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1tbsp of sugar in the warm water. Let sit about 5 minutes
- Whisk in oil into the yeast mixture
- Whisk in sugar and salt
- Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time
- Gradually add in flour (about ½ cup at a time) until the dough holds together. Should be slightly tacky but not sticking to your hands
- Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth
- In another large bowl, coat with olive oil
- Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or paper towel. Let rise in warm place for 1 hour, it should double in size. Note: It can also rise in a pre-warmed oven at 150F then turned off
- Punch down dough and cover and let rise again for 30 minutes
- Separate the dough into two (one for each loaf). We will be working with one loaf at a time
- With the dough for one loaf, split it into 6 balls and place on lightly floured surface
- Roll each ball, one at a time, into a strand ~12 inches long and ~1½ inches wide
- Lay all 6 strands parallel to each otherNote: You can optionally pinch the strands together at the top, not necessary because we will go back and fix the ends
- Starting from the strand to the furthest right, weave it through the strands: over 2, under 1, over 2
- Repeat the previous step pattern until you reach the end, it is ok to stretch the strands a bit towards the end, but do not rip them
- Pinch the loose strands at the end and tuck them under the loaf
- Going back to the top of the loaf (it is easier if you flip the dough so the top is facing you), finish off the braid with the same pattern and pinch the remaining loos strands and tuck them under the loaf
- Place the loaf on a greased baking pan. Repeat steps 11-17 with the second loaf and place on the same baking sheet, with at least 2 inches between them
- Beat one egg and using a pastry brush, brush both loaves
- Let rise for one hour (or this is where you can freeze it)
- Pre-heat oven to 375F
- Brush loaves again with the egg wash and sprinkle on any desired toppingsNote: if using a frozen loaf, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking
- Baking on middle rack for 15 minutes
- Brush loaves again with the egg wash (mainly to the light areas of the bread to achieve even coloring)
- Bake again on middle rack for 20-25 minutes until golden
- Cool loaves on wire rack
Notes
Original Recipe
Braiding Tutorial - also source of braiding pictures
Note: this is for a straight challah bread, for a round one, instead of tucking the pinched ends under the loaf, pinch the two ends together
Things to try:
- replace half of the sugar with honey
- different types of toppings