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Challah is a Jewish bread very similar to the French Brioche. It is a basic bread dough that has been enriched with eggs and butter that is braided for a beautiful presentation. The firm texture holds up beautifully when toasted, the taste is just delicious, and your house will smell sweet, buttery, and oh, so good. So, get out your standing mixer or make it by hand. Please give this a try, you will be glad you did.
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Homemade Challah
This Homemade Challah is soft, golden, and slightly sweet. It is so easy and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 ½-4 cups bread flour, I use King Arthur
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast or 1 package instant yeast
- 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten (you can use large eggs)
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup warm water
For the wash
- 1 extra-large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients and 3 1/2 cups of the flour in the bowl of a standing mixture. Mix on low for 4 minutes. With the mixture on low, gradually add the remaining flour a little at a time until you achieve a soft but not sticky dough. (Note: you may not need all of the flour. It will depend on the moisture level in the air.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough into the bowl turning once to grease the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 ½ hours.
- Gently deflate the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough equally into thirds. Roll out each portion into an 16 inch rope. Place the ropes 1 inch apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet. To braid, pinch one end of each rope together then gently fold each outside rope over the middle rope alternating sides just as you would if you were braiding hair. Cover the braid with a clean kitchen towel or a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for another hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. To make the wash, mix together the egg and water and gently brush over the surface of the braid. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove form the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 158kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 378mg, Potassium: 60mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 137IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I noticed that you didn't mention any kneading of the dough. Is this correct?
Jazmin-
The dough is mix/kneaded for 4 minutes before adding the remaining flour.
I just made this bread but made 8 rolls instead of a loaf. Dad and I have thoroughly enjoyed using them in sandwiches. Perfect sweetness and texture.
Thanks for sharing.