Is there any food that reflects the beauty of Judaism more than a freshly baked challah? Jews and non-Jews alike love the flavor and shape of this delicious eggy bread. But challah is so much more than just bread. The tradition of challah is a very spiritual one; for observant Jews, it is a way to directly connect with the spiritual energy of God. In fact, baking challah is considered an important blessing in the Jewish home.
Today, the word challah is used to describe the beautiful loaf of braided bread that appears on Shabbat tables all over the world. In ancient times, challah referred to a small bit of dough that was set aside for the Temple priests as an offering to God:
Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it.
Numbers 15:20
Traditionally, challah is served on Shabbat and holidays. I like to think of challah as a “special occasion” bread because of the time and effort that goes into making it. You can certainly make challah any day of the year, but in my home the process is reserved for Shabbat and the major Jewish holidays (except for Passover, of course, when leavened bread is not allowed). The smell of freshly baked challah ushers in our weekly Shabbat celebration and puts everybody in a mood of gratitude. As blog reader Rabbi Gershon Steinberg-Caudill put it—“I love it when I finish making my Shabbat Challah. It smells like Shabbat!”
The ritual associated with separating and blessing the challah is a somewhat complex process, dependent on the size of challah you are baking and your level of observance. Customs vary according to Halachic opinion; Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions approach the blessing differently. If you are interested in learning more about the process of separating challah, there are many guides available online… or ask a trusted rabbi!
For me, baking challah is like a meditation. Kneading and rising, kneading again, shaping, braiding and baking— it all takes a lot more time than baking brownies from an instant mix. Smelling the bread baking, then seeing your gloriously braided challah on the dinner table, really makes it all worthwhile. I hope this blog inspires you to try it yourself!
The following recipe is my favorite way to make challah, developed after many attempts to create a “foolproof” challah recipe. It’s a rich, moist, eggy challah sweetened with honey. The multiple risings create a beautiful texture, and the egg wash results in a gorgeous golden crust. Feel free to sprinkle your challah with any of the toppings suggested in the recipe. You also can add raisins or chocolate chips to the dough (adding real chocolate will make it a dairy recipe). No matter which way you choose to make it, challah is a delicious way to celebrate Shabbat, or any other holiday.
If you’ve never made challah before, remember to be patient. Baking challah is a simple process, but it does take time and effort. You may need to try it a few times to get a “feel” for the dough. If you follow my instructions exactly, you should be fine— I’ve tried to describe each step very carefully and specifically. Comment me if you have any questions.
For instructions on how to braid your challah, click the following link:
Challah Part 2: How to Braid Challah.
Good luck! 🙂
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Challah
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, divided
- 1 packet active dry yeast (1 packet is equivalent to 2 1/4 tsp or .25 ounce active dry yeast) - you may substitute 1 3/4 teaspoons of instant yeast or .6 ounce compressed fresh yeast (1 small cake)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (I prefer avocado oil for flavor and health reasons - you may substitute sunflower oil or canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/2-6 cups all purpose flour - PLEASE NOTE - if you are using the metric conversion tool on this recipe, the flour is not updating correctly. The correct metric measurements for flour are 562.5 to 750 grams (do not change the recipe serving sizes or it will not work)
Egg Wash Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Ingredients
- Raisins, chocolate chips (1 ½ cups of either)
Optional Toppings
- Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt
NOTES
Instructions
- Pour ¼ cup of the lukewarm water (about 110 degrees) into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 packet of active dry yeast and 1 tsp of sugar to the bowl, stir to dissolve. Wait 10 minutes. The yeast should have activated, meaning it will look expanded and foamy. If it doesn’t, your yeast may have expired, which means your bread won’t rise—go buy some fresh yeast! This step Is called "proofing" the yeast - if you're using instant yeast you can skip this step and simply add the yeast to your dry ingredients. If you're using fresh yeast (or compressed or cake yeast), simply stir it into the lukewarm water to dissolve, then add the remaining wet ingredients - no need to wait for proofing.
- Once your yeast has activated, add remaining 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water to the bowl along with the egg, egg yolks, honey, oil, and salt. Use a whisk to thoroughly blend the ingredients together.
- Begin adding the flour to the bowl by half-cupfuls, stirring with a large spoon each time flour is added. When mixture becomes too thick to stir, use your hands to knead.Continue to add flour and knead the dough until it’s smooth, elastic, and not sticky. The amount of flour you will need to achieve this texture varies—only add flour until the dough feels pliable and “right.” If you plan to add raisins or chocolate chips to the challah, incorporate into the dough as you knead.
- Place a saucepan full of water on the stove to boil.Meanwhile, remove the dough from your mixing bowl and wash out the bowl. Grease the bowl with oil. Push the dough back into the bottom of the bowl, then flip it over so that both sides are slightly moistened by the oil.
- Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Place the bowl of dough on the middle rack of your oven. Take the saucepan full of boiling water and place it below the rack where your dough sits. Close the oven, but do not turn it on. The pan of hot water will create a warm, moist environment for your dough to rise. Let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size. This may take longer depending on a number of things, including weather conditions... be patient! It's important to let the dough rise for best results.
- Take the dough bowl out and punch it down several times to remove air pockets.
- Place it back inside the oven and let it rise for 1 hour longer, or until the dough doubles in size.
- Take the dough out of the oven. Flour a smooth surface like a cutting board. Punch the dough down into the bowl a few times, then turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Knead for a few minutes, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from feeling sticky.
- Now your dough is ready to braid. If you plan to separate and bless the challah, do it prior to braiding. Click here to learn how to braid challah.After you’ve braided your challah, place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (this will catch any spills from your egg wash and keep your challah from sticking to the cookie sheet).Note: I usually only put a single challah braid on a cookie sheet, since they tend to expand a lot when baking.
- Prepare your egg wash by beating the egg, salt and water till smooth. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of the mixture onto the visible surface of your challah. If you're adding sesame seeds or some other topping, sprinkle it on the damp dough now - the egg wash helps it stick. Reserve the leftover egg wash.
- Let the braid rise 30 to 45 minutes longer. You’ll know the dough is ready to bake when you press your finger into the dough and the indentation stays, rather than bouncing back.Heat oven to 350 degrees F. The challah needs to bake for about 40 minutes total, but to get the best result the baking should be done in stages. First, set your timer to 20 minutes and put your challah in the oven.
- After 20 minutes, take the challah out of the oven and coat the center of the braid with another thin layer of egg wash. This area tends to expand during baking, exposing areas that will turn white unless they are coated with egg wash.Turn the tray around, so the opposite side is facing front, and put the tray back into the oven. Turning the tray helps your challah brown evenly—the back of the oven is usually hotter than the front.
- The challah will need to bake for about 20 minutes longer. For this last part of the baking process, keep an eye on your challah—it may be browning faster than it’s baking. Once the challah is browned to your liking, take the tray out and tent it with foil, then place it back in the oven. Remove the foil for the last 2 minutes of baking time.Take the challah out of the oven. At this point your house should smell delicious. You can test the bread for doneness by turning it over and tapping on the bottom of the loaf—if it makes a hollow sound, it’s done. Let challah cool on the baking sheet or a wire cooling rack before serving.
rebecca anderson says
Can you tell me how long to cook the rolls for?
Amy says
This was the first time I’ve tried make challah in almost 12 years and this recipe was wonderful! If I wanted a sweeter loaf, could I simply add more honey or will that negatively affect the overall results? Also do you have any tips for keeping the bottom from burning. I’m using parchment paper and cooking on the middle rack and seem to come out with a pretty dark base. Again this is a beautiful recipe and I plan to use it lots in the future!!
Tori Avey says
You can simply add more honey. Add semolina or corn grits to the baking sheet before placing the dough on it, which will separate it from the metal slightly and help prevent burning. You can also try baking at 25 degrees lower temp, but it will take longer to bake through.
Judy says
How long should the strands be for one large challah and for the two smaller
Allie says
Hi Tori, I am a very new baker. I tried making challah for the first time over the weekend and used your 6-strand braiding tips (you made it so easy!). It came out looking BEAUTIFUL but the bread itself, while tasty, is a little dense inside and has a relatively hard crust all around it. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I will be trying your challah recipe this week.
What am I looking for in my dough to know when I have kneaded it enough? Should the dough pass the “window pane test”? My first dough was not sticky, and relatively smooth, but it was never very stretchy. It did not pass the window pane test and just tore instead. but I kneaded it by hand for about 20 minutes and I wasn’t sure if that was too long, not enough, or what. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Hi Allie. A common issue when baking challah is a doughy and dense final loaf. Challah dough is sticky and to combat that we often add more flour to get a more desirable consistency. However, too much flour is often the reason that challah bakes up dense. The best thing is to stop adding flour once you’ve reached the maximum amount called for in a recipe, then knead for five minutes and give the dough time to rise. It’s also important to do two rises. It does take more time, but the results are worth it. After the first rise, you can braid or shape the dough however you’d like, then follow with an additional 30-45 minute (maximum) second rise. If you follow these simple tips, you should end up with a light and fluffy challah.
James Hays says
I use this recipe every week and since I live alone I usually give the second loaf away as a gift, it is something I look forward to every week and my friends are excited when they get a loaf <3
NIGHT SHADE says
This was an excellent recipe. Thank you! I carefully followed your instructions and I got an amazing Challah bread on my first try. I will definitely be using this recipe again. I ended up breaking it into 4 strands, but then I used one strand to make a couple cinnamon buns, so my 3 stranded loaf cooked in 53 minutes, it was almost overcooked, but I caught it in time. I also used coconut oil instead of canola oil. I can’t believe I actually made a good loaf of bread for once. Thank you again!
Shira says
Make it every week and comes out perfect each time!!
Tori Avey says
So glad to hear that!
Mike says
4 1/2 to 6 cups is a pretty big spread. This is my first time. Can u be more precise?
Tori Avey says
I’m sorry, I can’t. That’s the way it is with this dough. The flour amount is really dependent on a bunch of factors, including humidity levels. Just follow the directions closely and pay attention to the feel of the dough – I’ve been very precise with the description of the feeling you’re going for. Start with 4 1/2 and add more from there until it feels right. Good luck!
A. Anderson says
This was my first time making challah or any bread for that matter and it turned out beautifully! I ended up making 7 loaves over the weekend. The first 3 batches I made 2 loaves per batch doing a 6 strand braid and my last loaf I made one 6 strand braid and it was huge and gorgeous! Thank you for this recipe and the detailed instructions/videos!!
Tori Avey says
Wow that’s a lot of challah! 🙂 So glad it turned out well for you.
Lisa says
Thank you, thank you for this recipe and for all the helpful pictures and instructions! One braided loaf is complete – and beautiful! And the other loaf I curled into a turban which is now baking. Excellent recipe, excellent helpful hints.
Randi Gonen says
I’ve been baking challah for many years, but this recipe makes the very best challah I’ve ever tasted. It takes more time, but it rises well and has a great texture, too.
Ashley says
Hello! Does the bake time need to be adjusted for smaller loaves? I am planning to use 1/2 of the dough for a regular size loaf and divide the remaining half into 3 small loaves (each 1/6 of the overall dough)
Tori Avey says
Yes, it would cook faster if the loaves are smaller – can’t give you an exact timing without testing it, but you can use a thermometer to measure the internal temp – once it reaches 200 degrees F it’s done. Or use the tap test, if it sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom of the loaf, it should be ready.
Dave says
I have never baked bread until today. This recipe was AMAZING! I substituted agave syrup for the honey, but otherwise I followed to a T. The two loaves are perfect! Thank you for making my first baking experience so successful and pleasant! (Your suggestion to slow down and take my time was exactly what I needed to hear, both for the bread and my life in general.)
Tori Avey says
How cool is that? 🙂 So glad it turned out well for you. Yes, slowing down is key, especially now with everything so complicated out there. I truly find baking challah to be a meditation of sorts.
Sophia Gutheie says
Can you refrigerate the dough the night before?
Terry Neuman says
Do you have a Challah recipe for just one loaf? Would appreciate hearing from you. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Hi Terry, you can use this recipe to make one large loaf. If you want a medium-sized loaf, I recommend making two per the recipe and freezing one for future use.
Sharon Porter says
This is very easy to follow recipe and turned out really well on first attempt despite me putting All the flour in the bowl to start with! Lovely flavour
Joelle Fotion says
This recepie was amazing. I live in Aspen, CO. where altitude and rising of breads are a slight problem…but not this time! It not only tripled in size but tastes beyond amazing. I did bless this bread before I put it in the oven…maybe that had something to do with it!!! Thank you and I look forward to trying more fgoodies rom your site!!
Brianna Schneider says
What temperature did you bake and for how long?
Susan Bender says
Hi,
Question. Can I freeze or refrigerate my dough for future use?
Grant says
Followed this recipe and it came out perfectly. Perhaps, slightly some more salt.
Alison Galilian says
Tori, you still haven’t said what kind of flour you use. I’m based in the UK. Do you use self raising, plain or strong bread flour please? I hope you reply very soon as I am desperate to try your recipe!!
Tori Avey says
All purpose (plain). This question has been answered many times in comments, I went ahead and updated the recipe as well. 🙂