Challah Bread (Jewish Braided Egg Enriched Bread)
Quick answer
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 we...
What makes this special
- Jewish Challah Bread uses three eggs and oil to achieve a golden, chewy interior.
- Three eggs and 60ml oil turn the crumb golden, soft, and chewy
- Braided structure holds shape during proof and distributes heat evenly
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Mix 500g bread flour, 7g yeast, 50g sugar, and 1 tsp salt until evenly combined.
- 2 Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it becomes smooth, stretchy, and lightly tacky.
- 3 Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap.
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.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
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.
- 2Heat
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.
- 3Control
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.
- 4Step
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.
- 5Control
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.
- 6Heat
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.
After the steps
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