Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
- 1kg all-purpose flour, sifted
- 16g active dry yeast
- 450ml (2 cups) warm water
- 100g (½ cup) sugar
- 1 egg (optional)
- 1 level tablespoon fine salt (20g)
- 100ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) neutral oil
For the egg wash
- 1 whole egg, beaten
- Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or nigella seeds
Makes 4 to 6 loaves
- In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with a teaspoon of sugar. Mix well and let rest for about 10 minutes until foam forms.
- Add the beaten egg, remaining sugar, oil, and salt. Knead and gradually add the sifted flour until you get a soft dough. Continue kneading for a good 10 minutes until the dough is elastic, smooth, and just barely sticky. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours or until the dough doubles in volume (for a slow rise, see tips).
- Punch down the dough and divide into eight equal pieces (weigh the total dough and divide to get uniform loaves, approximately 200g each). Braid then place the loaves on parchment paper, spacing them well apart. Lightly brush with water using a pastry brush or your hands. Let rest covered with a clean towel until the loaves double in volume (45 minutes to 1 hour) - they should puff up and look soft. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush with beaten egg, optionally sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, nigella seeds, or any other creative topping you like (flax seeds, flaky salt, rosemary, sumac, za’atar…). Bake in the middle of the oven, lower the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for about 20 minutes.
Tips and Time Management
Complete steps 1 and 2 the night before, cover and let rise in the refrigerator until the next day. This slow rise really gives the challah an incomparable fluffiness - I highly recommend doing it this way. The next day you’ll only need to bring it to room temperature, then braid and continue with the recipe as indicated.
Seeds adhere better to the bread when using a whole egg instead of just a yolk.
If the challah makes a hollow sound when you tap gently underneath, it’s properly baked.
On the Shabbat following Passover, one custom is to shape the challah in the form of a key.
At Purim, some braid a very long challah, others make a triangle or pretzel shape to recall Haman’s ears.
At Shavuot, it’s customary to shape them like Torah scrolls or wheat stalks.
Some people like to replace the neutral oil with olive oil.
- At Rosh Hashanah, you can shape them like pomegranates or apples!
