Challah Bread (Jewish Braided Egg Enriched Bread)

Quick answer

Total time: 155 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Challah is a traditional Jewish enriched bread made with eggs and oil, which give it a golden crumb, a tender, slightly chewy texture, and a faint sweetness that stops well short of being dessert-like.

The dough is built from bread flour, yeast, sugar, eggs, and oil, divided into long strands, braided together, and then proofed before going into the oven. Brushing the loaf with egg wash before baking produces a deeply bronzed, glossy crust that contrasts visually and texturally with the pillowy interior. The braiding is not purely decorative; the interlocked strands provide structural support during proofing and help heat distribute evenly through the loaf while baking. Despite the eggs and sugar in the dough, challah eats like bread rather than cake and works equally well as a sandwich loaf, a dinner table bread, or sliced and toasted with butter and jam. It is traditionally prepared for Shabbat and Jewish holidays, but there is no practical reason to limit it to those occasions. Day-old challah absorbs custard deeply and evenly because of its tight, even crumb, making it one of the best breads for French toast.

Ingredients (8 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Bread flour	500	g
Eggs	3	piece
Sugar	50	g
Vegetable oil	60	ml
Yeast	7	g
Salt	1	tsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Season

Mix 500g bread flour, 7g yeast, 50g sugar, and 1 tsp salt until evenly combined.

Add 3 eggs, 60ml vegetable oil, and 180ml warm water, then stir until no dry patches remain.
2

Heat

Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it becomes smooth, stretchy, and lightly tacky.

Avoid adding too much extra flour, because a slightly sticky dough bakes into a softer crumb.
3

Control

Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap.

Let it rise at 27-30°C for about 1 hour, until it has doubled and looks airy.
4

Step

Press the risen dough gently to release large bubbles without crushing all the gas.

Divide it into 6 pieces, then roll each piece into an even strand about 50cm long.
5

Control

Pinch 3 strands together at one end and braid them without pulling tightly, making 2 loaves.

Set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely, and proof for 30 minutes.
6

Heat

Preheat the oven to 190°C and brush the loaves evenly with egg yolk wash.

Bake for 28-32 minutes, until deeply golden and glossy, then cool before slicing so the soft crumb sets cleanly.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Jewish Challah Bread uses three eggs and oil to achieve a golden, chewy interior.
Finish cue: Bake for 28-32 minutes, until deeply golden and glossy, then cool before slicing so the soft crumb sets cleanly.
Avoid this: Avoid adding too much extra flour, because a slightly sticky dough bakes into a softer crumb.