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! 🙂
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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.
Neal says
My Challah turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Tori Avey says
Glad to hear it. 🙂
Hindy says
Will this recipe work in a bread machine or are there adjustments that have to be made?
Jessica Schuman says
Hi. This recipe is amazing and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. It is hard to find recipes with all the details needed so thank you! I was wondering if Rapid Rise Instant Yeast can be used? I know you have provided information on using instant yeast instead of active dry but haven’t seen anything about rapid rise which is all I can find right now due to the pandemic. Thank you very much!!
Diane says
I absolutely LOVE this Challah, best I have ever tasted and comes out perfect every time! Since finding this recipe, I don’t go buy it from the store any longer. It’s fun to make and so easy. I am so glad I found your outstanding recipe. I make 2 loaves every Friday afternoon for Shabbat dinner 🙂
Ruth Sameth says
Really great recipe! I, also, had an issue with the bottom getting too cooked. (Was I supposed to take the parchment paper off before baking?) I think I just need to bake closer to 30 minutes than 40 and watch more closely. Your tip for rising bread in the oven over a saucepan of boiling water was gold. That worked so much better than my other attempts at rising bread. Thank you!
Chloe says
Excited to make this! I have a couple of questions first though – is this using plain flour or bread flour? And is the baking temperature for a fan or non-fan oven? Thanks!
Tori Avey says
All purpose flour. This recipe is developed for a regular oven, not a convection (fan) oven.
Jordan Miller says
Love this challah so much. Only issue I’m having is that the bottom burns every time I make it. Burnt when I used a light cookie sheet and a dark one. Any tips on how to prevent this? Thank you Tori!!
Tori Avey says
Hi Jordan! Make sure you’re baking the middle rack instead of bottom of oven. You can also do a light dusting of coarse corn meal on the baking sheet, and place the challah on top of it – this will create some separation between the bottom of the loaf and the baking sheet, which helps keep it from browning too much.
Jennifer says
excellent recipe! i was a little worried when the amount of flour was not specified. I went by touch and instinct like the instructions said, and for a novice baker like me this bread turned out incredible! i never leave comments on blog posts but this bread was just so good, I had to pay my respects! Thanks for the recipe!
Tori Avey says
Thanks for writing, Jennifer. So glad it turned out well for you!
Susan says
I never write reviews but this is the best Challah I have ever tasted!
I have only tried to make my own twice before and always used store bought. This is 1000 times better. I made your recipe for the first time and the only thing different was I used the proofing bread option on my oven instead of the pot of boiling water. I made one big loaf and 40 minutes cooking time was perfect. It was easy and fun. Thank you from Toronto!
Tori Avey says
Very happy to hear that Susan! Thanks for writing. 🙂
Susan says
hi! What type of flour do you use? All purpose? Bread? Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Hi Susan, I use all purpose, but you can substitute bread flour in a pinch.
Wendy says
Wonderful challah recipe-thank you! Easy to follow, delicious result, and thanks for all the options for braiding, etc.
Alex says
If you’re using instant yeast, how much water do you add to the dough?
Tori Avey says
The recipe remains the same, it’s the amount of instant yeast that changes – in the ingredient list I’ve given the amount of instant yeast to use. The rest of the recipe is unchanged.
Jill Anne Broder says
This is the ONLY challah recipe that I will use! It comes out perfect every time and is so easy to make. Thank you!!
Cam says
Super tasty challah! I think mine came out a bit too dense compared to what it was supposed to though, do you have any idea what could’ve caused it? Did I use too much flour, did I not let it rise enough or is it something else? Thank you so much for the recipe, I will re-try it for sure!
Tori Avey says
Potentially both (too much flour, not enough rise). It really can take some time to get a feel for the right dough texture. Please do try again, and give it a little more time to rise this go around. Glad it was tasty!
Emy says
I love this recipe! It tastes delicious and your step by step makes it so simple! I already done it twice for my family and will do it again and again! thanks
lynn seiden says
My dough did not come out smooth. It was sort of stringy and didnt stay together well. And it bounced back rather than allowing me to roll it out into spindle shapes. Does that mean I added too much flour, did I knead it too much or too little? When you say salt in the recipe does that mean regular table salt or kosher salt?
Tori Avey says
The salt in the recipe is regular table salt – I always specify when adding kosher salt. The texture issue sounds like you may have added too much flour. You also may not have let it rise enough – it can take time to get a proper rise. I hope you have better luck next time! As I said in the blog above, it takes practice to get a feel for it.
Maman Canadienne says
Made this challah for the first time for Shabbat for my family. Never made challah with honey before. Thank you so much for a clear, easy to follow recipe and video. Turned out great! It really does make a large challah! This recipe is a keeper. I’ll be making it again. Toda raba from
Ottawa Canada.
Yehuda Benchemhoun says
As you said, thank you so much for all the details in the processing.
חג שבועות שמח, לקבלת התורה בשמחה ובפנימיות.
Great recipe and easy to follow step by step. The smell is “from heaven” and the taste ” lehelah ulehelah” Formidable.
Suzanne C. Dashzeveg says
I made this recipe yesterday. It was a lot of waiting (3 risings), but so very worth it! My daughter absolutely is obsessed with challah bread, but we can only find in in grocery stores once or twice per year. Usually we have a 2 hour round-trip drive just to get to a larger grocery store to even look for challah bread. We will definitely make this again at home!
Shannon Stevens says
This was my first time making bread and it turned out fantastic! This recipe was super easy to follow and the bread was absolutely delicious 🙂