Challah Bread (Jewish Braided Egg Enriched Bread)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 155 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Eggs and oil make this braided Jewish bread yellow inside with a soft, tight crumb, and the egg wash gives it a glossy deep-gold crust.
Read more
Challah is the bread of the Sabbath and holiday table, and day-old leftovers make excellent French toast because the tight crumb soaks up custard evenly.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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