Challah

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, divided
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
4 1/2-6 cups flour
Egg Wash Ingredients
1 large egg
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp salt
Optional Ingredients
Raisins, chocolate chips (1 ½ cups of either)
Optional Toppings
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt

Directions

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! 
Once your yeast has activated, add remaining 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water to the bowl along with the egg, egg yolks, honey, canola 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 canola 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.
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.
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.
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. Reserve the leftover egg wash.

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, say, baking brownies from an instant mix. But 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 dish). 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 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.

Challah
from 113 votes
Servings
servings
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
45 minutes
Kosher Key
Parve
Description
Learn to make challah bread for Shabbat with this step-by-step recipe and discover the significance of this tasty Jewish bread. Kosher, Pareve.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, divided
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
4 1/2-6 cups flour
Egg Wash Ingredients
1 large egg
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp salt
Optional Ingredients
Raisins, chocolate chips (1 ½ cups of either)
Optional Toppings
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt
You will also need: Large mixing bowl, whisk, kitchen towel, cookie sheet, parchment paper, plastic wrap, pastry brush, timer
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!   
Once your yeast has activated, add remaining 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water to the bowl along with the egg, egg yolks, honey, canola 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 canola 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.
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.  
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.
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. 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.
This recipe will make 1 very large challah, 2 regular challahs, or 24 mini challah rolls. I usually divide the dough in half to make 2 medium challahs, which are more manageable and easier to braid than a large one. Choose what works best for you!

HOW TO MAKE STRANDS: How to Braid
Divide your dough into the number of strands you'll need, making sure each portion is equal in volume. For example, if you're making a three strand challah, divide your dough into three equal portions
Take one of the portions and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is flat and about 1/4 inch thick. Don't worry about the shape of the dough, it doesn't matter. Put the smaller part of the dough towards the top of your rolling surface, with the widest part towards the bottom.
Using both hands, put pressure on the rolling surface and pull the dough back towards you, rolling it back into a strand shape. Keep even pressure on the dough as you roll so that no air pockets collect in the strand.
Once your strand shape is created, roll it back and forth with both hands to erase the seams and smooth out the strand. As you roll, angle your hands outward and apply gentle pressure to taper the dough on the outer edges. By doing this, your strand should end up slightly thicker in the middle and thinner on the ends. This will help make your braided challah tapered at the ends, which creates a beautiful shape.
Further taper the strand by grasping one end between your two palms and gently rolling the dough back and forth. Repeat for the other end of the strand.
THREE-STRAND BRAID
This is the easiest way to braid a challah. For those of you who know how to braid hair, this should come naturally to you. I like to start the braid in the middle of the strands instead of the top because it gives the challah a more even, balanced shape.
The important thing to remember when braiding a Three-Strand Challah is to be aware of your middle strand. Each strand of dough will take a turn being the middle strand; keeping your eye on the middle strand will help you stay on track as you braid.
Create three equal-size strands. Lay the three strands side-by-side.

HOW TO MAKE STRANDS
Divide your dough into the number of strands you'll need, making sure each portion is equal in volume. For example, if you're making a three strand challah, divide your dough into three equal portions
Take one of the portions and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is flat and about 1/4 inch thick. Don't worry about the shape of the dough, it doesn't matter. Put the smaller part of the dough towards the top of your rolling surface, with the widest part towards the bottom.

Using both hands, put pressure on the rolling surface and pull the dough back towards you, rolling it back into a strand shape. Keep even pressure on the dough as you roll so that no air pockets collect in the strand.
Once your strand shape is created, roll it back and forth with both hands to erase the seams and smooth out the strand. As you roll, angle your hands outward and apply gentle pressure to taper the dough on the outer edges. By doing this, your strand should end up slightly thicker in the middle and thinner on the ends. This will help make your braided challah tapered at the ends, which creates a beautiful shape.

Further taper the strand by grasping one end between your two palms and gently rolling the dough back and forth. Repeat for the other end of the strand.
And that's how you make a strand! Simple, right? Now, before we start braiding, I want to share a few tips with you that I've learned from trial and error over the years.
CHALLAH BRAIDING TIPS
Make sure your dough has completely risen using a two-rise process before you start to braid. If you don't, your strands may rise and expand while you are braiding, leading to a misshapen and sloppy-looking braid. The challah will still taste good, but it won't look as pretty. 🙂
Once you start braiding, continue until you are finished. If you walk away from a half-braided challah, you might lose your place in the braid, which can make things a lot more complicated.
For braids that start with the strands being pinched together at the top (Four- and Six-Strand braids), pinch them somewhat loosely at the beginning of the braiding process. I've found that often I like to “unpinch” this top section when I'm finished braiding so I can re-braid the top of the challah into a tighter, neater braid. This gives a cleaner look to the challah overall.
If your dough is sticking to the board, keep your surface lightly floured as you braid.
Don't get discouraged! Making even strands and pretty braids takes some practice. Follow the steps here carefully, be patient with yourself, and most importantly HAVE FUN!
Now, let's start with the braiding! Here is the simplest way to braid a challah…

Three-Strand Challah
THREE-STRAND BRAID
This is the easiest way to braid a challah. For those of you who know how to braid hair, this should come naturally to you. I like to start the braid in the middle of the strands instead of the top because it gives the challah a more even, balanced shape.
The important thing to remember when braiding a Three-Strand Challah is to be aware of your middle strand. Each strand of dough will take a turn being the middle strand; keeping your eye on the middle strand will help you stay on track as you braid.
Create three equal-size strands. Lay the three strands side-by-side.

Grab the center of the right strand and cross it over the middle strand, drop it in the center. The right strand is now your middle strand.

Grab your left strand and cross it over the middle strand. The left strand becomes your middle strand.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 (right strand to middle, left strand to middle) until you have braided your challah to the very end. Pinch the three strands together at the end.

Grab the challah in the center…
and flip it towards you so the challah is now upside down and the unbraided strands are facing downward.
Continue braiding by grabbing the left strand and crossing it over the middle strand. The left strand becomes your middle strand.
Grab the right strand and cross it over the middle strand, drop it in the center. The right strand is now your middle strand.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 (left strand to middle, right strand to middle) until your challah is fully braided. Pinch the ends of the loose strands together and tuck both the top and bottom tips of the challah under to create a nice rounded shape.
Three-Strand Challah Braid
Brush with egg wash, top if desired, then allow challah to rise. Bake according to your challah recipe's instructions.

FOUR-STRAND CHALLAH
The Four-Strand Challah is my favorite braid. I love the design it creates. When braiding a Four-Strand Challah it's important to remember that you always start with the strand that is furthest to the right. Memorize the “over, under, over” pattern and say it out loud as you braid to keep you on track.
Create four equal-size strands. Lay the four strands side-by-side, then pinch them together so they are connected at the top.
Take the strand furthest to the right and weave it towards the left through the other strands using this pattern: over, under, over.
Take the strand furthest to the right and repeat the weaving pattern again: over, under, over. Repeat this pattern, always starting with the strand furthest to the right, until the whole loaf is braided.
Pinch the ends of the loose strands together and tuck them under on both ends of the challah loaf to create a nice shape.
Four-Strand Challah Braid
Brush with egg wash, top if desired, then allow challah to rise. Bake according to your challah recipe's instructions.