Challah is a soft Jewish bread traditionally eaten on the sabbath or holidays, but you can really eat it whenever. It has a sweet and somewhat eggy taste which I love.

Challah Recipe:

  • One packet active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup, 1 1/2 tsp honey
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 cups flour plus extra for dusting
  • Pinch of salt

In a large bowl mix 1/2 a cup and 6 tbs warm water with 1 1/2 tsp honey and the packet of yeast and let sit until mixture develops a light foam on the top.

Yest (Pressman, 2020)

Once it looks like the picture, whisk in the oil and add 2 eggs one at a time. Then, mix in the remaining honey and salt.

Whisking eggs, honey, and yeast mixture (Pressman, 2020)

Once it is all mixed together, sift the four cups of flour through a tight mesh strainer into the liquid. Stir until it comes together. Once dough is formed, turn over onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

Place dough into an oiled bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Put in a warm place to rise for one hour. I preheated my oven to 200 degrees while making my dough and then turned the oven off before putting it in for the perfect warm environment for my dough to rise in. After one hour, punch dough down and leave to rise for another 30 minutes.

Once the rising is done, turn dough onto a floured surface. Now it is time to braid your challah. There are many different styles when it comes to this. I chose to do a six strand braid, and followed the video I included below which was very helpful. I then tucked one side of my loaf under the other to create a circle.

Challah in the oven (Pressman 2020)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cover your dough to rise for another hour. Once oven is preheated and dough has finished rising, mix together an egg and cold water and brush it over your loaf. It is now time to put it in the oven! Put your bread in for between 30 and 40 minutes, starting to check around the 30 minute mark.

You should have a beautiful loaf of challah! But don’t beat yourself up if you don’t –this bread is really hard to make.

  • Right after kneading (Pressman, 2020)
  • Done rising (Pressman, 2020)
  • About to braid (Pressman, 2020)
  • Halfway through… (Pressman, 2020)
  • The loaf! (Pressman, 2020)
  • After turning it into a circle (Pressman, 2020)
  • All done!!! (Pressman, 2020)

This was by far the best loaf of challah I have ever made. The honey gives it a nice sweetness that isn’t overpowering and the total of two and a half hours rising time ensures a soft airy bread. The crust is thin and the bread is tearable, just as it should be. Some people add sesame or poppy seeds to the top or cinnamon and raisins to the dough depending on their taste. I chose to leave it plain which is the way I like it best. My serving suggestion is to eat surrounded by friends and lots of butter.