Homemade Challah Bread
Have you ever baked bread? If you want fresh bread and a house that smells delicious? Homemade Challah bread will fill your home with the scent of freshly baked bread. I have baked mom and grandmas my entire life; 10 years ago I got into serious bread baking and began a life-long relationship with baking. My personal mission is to master sourdough, baguettes, ciabatta, and challah at the very least. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Challah is a Jewish, enriched bread often made for ceremonial occasions. It is easy to make and has a wonderful soft pillowy interior. Perfect to enjoy sliced, toasted, or made into French toast.
Get Ready to Bake
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When baking bread you will find that a few simple ingredients combined in the correct proportions are all you need. Flour, water, yeast, and salt will make you a simple bread, add a few key ingredients and you will have a fantastic loaf of bread. Homemade Challah Bread is an enriched dough with milk, eggs, and sugar add a rich and flavorful element to this loaf.
Bake Using Metric Measurements
I strongly recommend you get a good quality scale and transition to baking anything with metric measurements. Using Imperal measurements is ok but you just don’t get the same accuracy. Baking is basically chemistry and accuracy guarantees good results.
I use a digital kitchen scale that I got from Amazon years ago. It has a removable bowl that is handy for measuring multiple ingredients and is super easy to operate. You can get it here.
This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, HOW TO BAKE by Paul Hollywood. I adore this book and use it constantly for bread and baking techniques. You can get it here.
Ingredients
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 10 g Instant Yeast
- 10 g Salt
- 25 g Granulated Sugar
- 30 g Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 2 Medium Eggs, plus 1 for egg wash
- 50 ml Room Temperature Milk
- 180 ml Room Temperature to Cool Water
- Extra Flour for dusting
additional Ingredients for Cinnamon Raisin Challah
- 2 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 c Raisins
Mix
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands slowly mix forming a rough dough. Add a little water at a time if the dough is especially dry.
Knead and Knead Some More
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Kneading
There are several kneading styles but my preferred method is to fold the top of the dough over to the bottom and then use the heel of my hand to press the folded dough flat again. Repeat the process for forever and a day. Just kidding! If you knead firmly the process should go fairly quickly and it’s a good arm workout.
Bonus Tip!
If your dough feels too dense to knead easily, you can cover it with a tea towel and rest it for a five-minute rest. The kneading will be much easier after the gluten relaxes a little.
First Proof
Lightly coat a large bowl with a neutral oil and add kneaded dough turning once to coat the dough in oil.
Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and set it to proof in a draft-free area for at least 1 hour or as much as 2-3 hours. The dough should double in size in that time.
Knock Down Dough and Portion
Once the dough has doubled in size transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knock it down. This is just a process of getting the air out of the dough, press down on the dough, and fold it over onto itself a few times forming a ball again.
Portion The Dough
I am making two braids here so I am splitting the dough in half then each half into three. Just split the dough into three if you want one large braid.
Shaping and Braiding
Roll each piece of dough into a snake to make one strand for the braid. Repeat with the remaining two pieces keeping them all the same length.
Join the pieces at one end and begin the braiding process.
Pass one outside strand over the center strand and under the second strand. Do the same from the opposite direction until the braid is complete.
Transfer the completed braid to a parchment-lined baking sheet while you complete the second braid if making two.
Cinnamon Raisin Challah Alternative
I love to add cinnamon and raisins to my Challah and use it for French Toast or sliced with butter. There are many ways to make this addition but this is how I do it.
When shaping strands for the braid make the strand then flatten it out. Cover with a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar then raisins. Roll the strands up lengthwise by folding over one-third and pressing down then fold again to complete the strand. Pinch the seam together to seal and gently roll until smooth. Complete the braid as you did on the first braid.
Final Proof
Transfer braids to a parchment-lined baking sheet cover with a plastic bag or tea towel and allow to proof for one hour.
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Bake Time
Twenty minutes before final proof is complete pre-heat your oven to 425 F.
Egg Wash
The final proof is complete when you gently press on the dough and if it bounces back right away you are ready to bake.
Beat one egg with a teaspoon of water and brush gently onto proofed braids.
Affiliate Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you). For more information see my Legal page.
Bake
I always keep an oven temperature gauge in my oven just in case, ovens are rarely accurate so it is always good to double-check. I have been using this one for a while and find it super easy to read and the clip keeps it secure in your oven. This is the one I use. You can find it on Amazon here.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the braids are golden brown and sound hollow when you knock on them.
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Cool and Serve
Allow Homemade Challah to cool for an hour before slicing.
I love to use Homemade Challah for my favorite Cinnamon Raisin Challah French Toast topped with Butter with toasted pecans. Recipes coming soon!
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Homemade Challah Bread
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl Rinse and use as proofing vessel as well.
- 1 Baking Scale I only bake using a scale for the most accurate measurments.
- 1 Measuring Cup
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Plastic Wrap
- 1 Dough Scraper
- 1 Large Plastic bag or Tea Towel
- 1-2 Large Sheet Pan
- 1 Cooling Rack
- 1 Oven Temperature Gauge Oven temperature needs to be accurate for baking.
Ingredients
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 10 g Instant Yeast
- 10 g Salt
- 25 g Granulated Sugar
- 30 g Unsalted Butter Softened
- 2 medium Eggs Lightly beaten
- 50 ml Milk Whole or 2% at room temperature or slightly warm
- 180 ml Water Cool
- 1 tsp Oil Use a neutral flavored oil like avocado oil.
Egg Wash
- 1 medium Egg
- 1 tsp Water
Instructions
- Add flour, salt, sugar, yeast, eggs, milk and butter to a mixing bowl, mix with your hands500 g Bread Flour, 10 g Instant Yeast, 10 g Salt, 25 g Granulated Sugar, 30 g Unsalted Butter, 2 medium Eggs, 50 ml Milk
- Add water and mix to form a ball of rough dough. Clean sides of bowl with dough.180 ml Water
- Transfer rough dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should pass the windowpane test
- Clean your mixing bowl and spray lightly with a neutral oil.1 tsp Oil
- Transfer the kneaded dough to an oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough in oil. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and set aside in a draft-free area.
- Allow dough to proof for at least 1 hour or up to 2-3 hours. First proofing is done when the dough bounces back when gently pressed and has doubled in size.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knockdown. Shape into a ball and portion into three or six pieces.
- Shape pieces into sausages or strands for the braid, keeping them the same length and width. Join three strands at the top and do a basic three-strand braid with the strands being careful not to stretch too tight or loose. Seal the bottom and tuck under. Repeat with the second set of strands if doing two braids.
- Transfer braid or braids to the parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a tea towel. Set aside in a draft-free area to complete second and final proofing.
- 15 minutes before proofing is complete pre-heat your oven to 400℉
- Braids are ready to bake when they bounce back after gently pressing.
- Beat 1 egg and 1 tsp of water to form an egg wash.1 medium Egg, 1 tsp Water
- Gently brush both braids with egg wash to cover the top and sides. Transfer to 400℉ oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Homemade Challah Bread is done baking when it has a shiny golden brown crust and sounds hollow when knocked on.
- Transfer baked braids to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
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