Lindsey’s Challah

Challah. Noun. Chal·lah.

Plural: Challot or Challahs.

Definition: egg-rich, yeast-leavened bread that is usually braided or twisted before baking and is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and holidays.

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, my parents started hosting Shabbat on Zoom with family and friends. It was a way for all of us to come together during a difficult time without being together in person. I started developing my own challah recipe and once I perfected it, I began sharing loaves of delicious challah with family and friends every week. Baking challah on Fridays was a ritual that lifted my spirits during this challenging time and allowed me to bring joy to the people I love most.

Social distancing allowed me to start writing my own recipes at home and I knew challah had to be the first one I shared on my blog! This challah recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and salty and has the BEST crumb. It tears beautifully and is so scrumptious on its own and even better with some Irish butter schmeared on it! This recipe has become a staple in my home every Friday night and is something I look forward to baking each and every week.

A couple of notes about this delectable challah recipe:

1. If you are in a warmer climate you may need to add the additional ½ cup of flour. I noticed on the hotter and more humid days, I need to add more flour while kneading so it releases from my stand mixer bowl.
2. If you are in a cooler climate, consider heating your oven to the lowest setting then turning it off and allow your challah dough to proof in the warm oven.
3. Braid however you would like to braid, but I find the 4 strand braid to look the nicest for this size loaf.
4. You can make one large loaf with this recipe, just make sure you cook it long enough (internal temperature will be about 190 degrees). I like making 2 loaves because it allows me to keep one for myself and give one to my parents. They are large loaves even when the dough is split in half. I have split the dough into quarters to make mini loaves, made 1 large round challah for the holidays, and have even made challah rolls! Any way you want to enjoy this recipe will be delish!

If you have leftover challah at the end of the night, save it to make challah French toast in the morning or try my overnight challah french toast casserole recipe!

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Lindsey's Challah

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 package rapid rise instant yeast
• 4 ½ - 5 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar (plus 1 teaspoon for proofing)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup warm water (approx 105-110 degrees F)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 large eggs

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and warm water. Let proof for 5-10 minutes or until you see foam on top.
2. In a separate bowl combine 4 ½ cups flour, sugar, and salt and set aside. 
3. Add vegetable oil, honey, and 2 eggs to the yeast mixture and mix until well combined.
4. Add half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and combine. After most of the flour is incorporated, add the rest of the mixture.
5. Using either a dough hook or a well floured surface, knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth. If your dough is too sticky, add additional flour a little at a time. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. It should double in size.
6. After an hour, punch down the dough and let rise an additional 30 minutes.
7. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Set one half aside. Divide each half into 4 evenly sized pieces. Roll each piece into a log making sure they are about the same length (approx. 9 inches). Taper the ends a little bit when rolling out the dough. This is so the ends aren’t too thick, otherwise it may under-bake on the ends. 
8. Pinch the tops of all 4 strands together and then put the right rope over the one to the left of it, then the next over the left of that, and put the leftmost one into the middle: right over left, right over left, left over right in the middle (check out the video above!). Tuck the remaining dough strands under to make the loaf look nice and neat. Repeat for second loaf and transfer to a parchment or silicone lined sheet pan. Let rise for an additional 20-30 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
10. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tsp. water until combined and then brush on top of the braided loaves with a pastry brush. You may sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning, cinnamon and brown sugar, or anything else to your liking on top or leave it plain.
11. Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until the bread has cooked through and the top is a deep, golden brown. You may brush with egg midway through the baking process to get the creases more brown and a thicker crust.
12. Let the loaves cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 576Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 113gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 16g