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.
James Ong says
I tried making Challah for the first time today and I used your recipe! It turned out amazing! I made four loaves and shared it with my mom and in-laws. It was a hit with everyone. My two and five year old kids loved it as well. Eating the Challah brought back special memories of living in Israel when my parents took up a posting in the mid-90s. Thank you for bringing much joy to many people through this superb recipe, and easy to follow instructions on braiding. With gratitude from Singapore! Shabbat Shalom!
ashley says
I have a container of dry yeast – do you know the actual amount of yeast you use?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. 1 packet of yeast contains 1/4 ounce or approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. We have updated this info in the recipe notes. Happy baking and hope this helps!
Linda Hollins says
I make this challah all the time and it is perfect!
Question… I am out of honey and I don’t have any plans on shopping right now just for honey. Can I substitute sugar or something else?
Help. Thank you!!
Cheryl says
For the ingredients, do you mean use anywhere between 4 and one-half to six cups of flour?
Tori Avey says
Yes. Please read the instructions section of the recipe, where I go over this in detail.
Cindy Freeman says
My challah, as my husband commented, was Perfect! The recipe was easy, the result was beautiful and delicious. I’m afraid to make it again in case it was just beginner’s luck but I think this could become a weekly project. Thanks.
Joseph Taylor says
Hi Tori,
Just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for this recipe! I’ve been using it as my go-to challah recipe – it is perfect! Never have I had such a perfect couple of loads of challah! The flavor is great, but the fluffy consistency of the inside of the loaf is PERFECT! My wife and I take a moment after eating a bite to look at each other with that look of “OH WOW” every time. THANK YOU!! ❤️
Jessica K says
This has been my go-to challah recipe for years. I also enjoy your “holiday brisket” and “Moroccan Chicken.” I keep finding new treasures on your site.
For this challah, I make a batch ahead, preform it, and freeze in four small loaves for the month. Each Friday, I defrost it for the third rise, egg wash, and bake. It comes out just as good as fresh. Lately, I’ve been making the dough in my bread machine, which has been a great time saver.
Thank you for sharing!
Maxine says
Jessica, thank you for this! I recently tried another bread recipe that suggested freezing before the final rise, and I was wondering about this recipe. It’s just myself and my husband, and I hate to waste food, especially food that has such delicious results like Tori’s!
Leslie says
Do you have to make new egg wash every time you defrost a loaf, or will it stay good for the month?
Tori Avey says
You should discard egg wash after using for food safety.
yam says
i made 1 HUGE loaf and it came out delicious and already planning on using what i can’t enjoy fresh for french toast. A little dense – i suspect from overworking the dough – excited to take another shot.
yam says
meant to give 5 stars so here it is :~)
Adrian says
Just made 2 beautiful loaves following your recipe — one braided and one pan loaf. I used bread flour and ended up using closer to 6 cups of it to get the correct non-sticky consistency. The end result was perfect! Both loaves came out amazing and the flavor is delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Lillie says
I followed this recipe to a T and it came out PERFECT! I’m glad I split the dough and made two because they are huge. Thanks for a great recipe and detailed directions.
Angela hegstrom says
Just made your challah recipe with my son and his girlfriend who live in NYC. We live in Colorado. We FaceTimed each other all day and it felt good during this crazy time to see them off and on all day and compare our dough! We are all about to our them in the oven . Thank you!
Nancy G says
I remember that my mother used to make this when I was little and it is my favorite bread. I made this yesterday and followed the recipe to the letter. It came out magnificent! I really like the idea of putting a boiling pot of water in the cool oven for proofing, that is really genius! I made two loaves and used the 3 strand braid as I was also getting dinner ready at the same time. It was a hit! I had just enough left over today to make french toast for breakfast. Thank you for the great recipe!
Lisa says
I used to make this bread as a child with my great aunt. I didn’t have her recipe with me this year. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. My daughter and I baked the bread together yesterday and it was a happy moment in these trying times.
Sophia says
It turned out perfectly!!!
Sophia Kics says
It turned out perfectly!!!
April says
Oh my goodness, this is a terrific recipe! It made two beautiful loaves, and thank you for all the great tips on baking it.
Gigi says
Thanks for the wonderful recipe, it came out perfectly and without the instruction how to braid it, I would have been lost!
silvia says
Hi I’m non-Jew but I love Challah anyway! Thank you so much for recipe. I love it! Delicious! Many thank’s from Slovakia.
Karen says
Thank you for the recipe. The photos and detailed instructions were very helpful! The bread came out looking picture perfect and tasted even better! Nothing like the smell of fresh bread!
Ashley Jean-Baptiste says
We are excited to try this recipe this week 🙂
Two questions:
Do you put new boiling water in the oven on the 2nd rise?
Once braided, do you rise in the oven and if so, do you use new boiling water too?
Thank you!
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Ashley, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. It’s not necessary to replace the boiling water. After braiding, the final rise can be done while sitting on the counter. Hope this helps!
Mo says
Excellent recipe. Had never made Callah before. Such an easy dough to work with and great directions. Thank you. Just wondering if you’ve ever made this in a loaf pan (ie, not braid it), and if so, would it make 2 or 3 loaves? (9 X 5 pans).