It only took nearly three years of keeping Shabbat for me to attempt making Challah bread.
My husband had finally waited long enough.
And now? A fresh, beautiful loaf of braided Challah bread (or 2) makes its way to our Shabbat table every single Erev Shabbat, without fail. It may be lovingly half-eaten by the time dinner rolls around, but it still glistens in all its glory!
Challah How-to Video
Ingredients
Filtered Water
Active Dry Yeast
Himalayan/Sea Salt
Pastured Egg
Olive Oil
Raw Honey
Unbleached All-purpose Flour
*try to get all organic items!
Instructions
#1:
HEAT UP WATER UNTIL WARM (AROUND 110-115 DEGREES).
#2:
COMBINE WARM WATER, DRY ACTIVE YEAST, AN EGG, OLIVE OIL, AND HONEY INTO A LARGE BOWL.
TIP: ADD OLIVE OIL TO YOUR MEASURING CUP FIRST, AND THEN HONEY…THE HONEY WILL ALL SLIP RIGHT OUT!
#3:
ADD ALL OF YOUR FLOUR. MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER WELL WITH MIXING SPOON FIRST, THEN USE YOUR HANDS TO FULLY INCORPORATE. NO KNEADING NEEDED (;-)) HERE YET!
#4:
COVER DOUGH WITH A LID OR DAMPENED KITCHEN TOWEL AND ALLOW TO RISE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR (OR ABOUT DOUBLE IN SIZE).
#5:
ONCE RISEN, KNEAD THE DOUGH FOR AROUND 5 MINUTES OR UNTIL SOFT AND SMOOTH.
#6:
LAY DOUGH OUT IN A ROUGH RECTANGULAR SHAPE ON YOUR WORK SURFACE AND DIVIDE INTO THREE EQUAL(ISH) PIECES.
#7:
USING THE PALMS OF YOUR HANDS AND SLIGHT PRESSURE, ROLL OUT EACH OF THE THREE DOUGH PIECES INTO LONG, ROPE-SHAPED PIECES THAT ARE SIMILAR IN LENGTH.
#8:
LAY THE THREE ROPE-LIKE DOUGH PIECES NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND PINCH THEIR ENDS ALL-TOGETHER AT ONE OF THE ENDS.
#9:
BEGIN BRAIDING YOUR DOUGH, STARTING AT THE PINCHED END, BY TAKING ONE OF THE OUTSIDE STRANDS AND CROSSING IT OVER THE MIDDLE STRAND. THEN, GO TO THE OPPOSITE OUTSIDE STRAND AND CARRY THAT OUTSIDE STRAND OVER THE NEW MIDDLE STRAND. REPEAT THE PROCESS BY ALTERNATING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER…ALWAYS OVERLAPPING THE MIDDLE STRAND.
#10:
WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF THE STRANDS, PINCH ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER LIKE YOU DID AT THE BEGINNING. TAKE BOTH PINCHED ENDS OF THE BRAIDED DOUGH AND CAREFULLY TUCK THEM UNDER THE LOAF ON BOTH SIDES SO THE PINCHED ENDS ARE NO LONGER EXPOSED.
#11:
HEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 DEGREES FARHENHEIT.
#12:
PLACE THE BRAIDED DOUGH ONTO A PARCHMENT-LINED BAKING SHEET. PLACE IN A WARM PLACE (I PLACE MINE ON MY STOVE-TOP WITH THE OVEN PREHEATING). LET RISE FOR 10-20 MINUTES OR UNTIL VISIBLY MORE PUFFY.
#13:
BEAT ONE EGG INTO A SMALL BOWL. PAINT THE BEATEN EGG ONTO THE BRAIDED CHALLAH DOUGH.
#14:
SPRINKLE ON KOSHER SALT (LIBERALLY) ALL OVER THE SIDES AND TOP OF THE CHALLAH.
*ANY SALT WILL WORK HERE, BUT THE LARGE-BUT-NOT-TOO-LARGE SIZE OF THE KOSHER SALT IS PERFECTION IN MY HUMBLE OPINION.
#15:
BAKE YOUR CHALLAH FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN/REDDISH BROWN IN COLOR AND THE SMELL OF DELICIOUS JEWISH GOODNESS FILLS YOUR NOSTRILS.
ENJOY & SHALOM!
Braided Challah Bread
Once you make this traditional Jewish bread, you will find reasons to make it again and again for a variety of meals!
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- mixing spoon
- Cookie Sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 tsp Salt high quality sea salt
- 1 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Pastured Egg
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1 Cup Warm Filtered Water
- 3 3/4 Cups Organic Unbleached All-purpose Flour
Topping
- 1 Pastured Egg beaten
- Coarse Kosher/Himalayan Salt
Instructions
- HEAT UP WATER UNTIL WARM (AROUND 110-115 DEGREES).
- COMBINE WARM WATER, DRY ACTIVE YEAST, AN EGG, OLIVE OIL, AND HONEY INTO A LARGE BOWL. TIP: ADD OLIVE OIL TO YOUR MEASURING CUP FIRST, AND THEN HONEY…THE HONEY WILL ALL SLIP RIGHT OUT!
- ADD ALL OF YOUR FLOUR. MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER WELL WITH MIXING SPOON FIRST, THEN USE YOUR HANDS TO FULLY INCORPORATE. NO KNEADING NEEDED (;-)) HERE YET!
- COVER DOUGH WITH A LID OR DAMPENED KITCHEN TOWEL AND ALLOW TO RISE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR (OR ABOUT DOUBLE IN SIZE).
- ONCE RISEN, KNEAD THE DOUGH FOR AROUND 5 MINUTES OR UNTIL SOFT AND SMOOTH.
- LAY DOUGH OUT IN A ROUGH RECTANGULAR SHAPE ON YOUR WORK SURFACE AND DIVIDE INTO THREE EQUAL(ISH) PIECES.
- USING THE PALMS OF YOUR HANDS AND SLIGHT PRESSURE, ROLL OUT EACH OF THE THREE DOUGH PIECES INTO LONG, ROPE-SHAPED PIECES THAT ARE SIMILAR IN LENGTH.
- LAY THE THREE ROPE-LIKE DOUGH PIECES NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND PINCH THEIR ENDS ALL-TOGETHER AT ONE OF THE ENDS.
- BEGIN BRAIDING YOUR DOUGH, STARTING AT THE PINCHED END, BY TAKING ONE OF THE OUTSIDE STRANDS AND CROSSING IT OVER THE MIDDLE STRAND. THEN, GO TO THE OPPOSITE OUTSIDE STRAND AND CARRY THAT OUTSIDE STRAND OVER THE NEW MIDDLE STRAND. REPEAT THE PROCESS BY ALTERNATING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER…ALWAYS OVERLAPPING THE MIDDLE STRAND.
- WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF THE STRANDS, PINCH ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER LIKE YOU DID AT THE BEGINNING. TAKE BOTH PINCHED ENDS OF THE BRAIDED DOUGH AND CAREFULLY TUCK THEM UNDER THE LOAF ON BOTH SIDES SO THE PINCHED ENDS ARE NO LONGER EXPOSED.
- HEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 DEGREES FARHENHEIT.
- PLACE THE BRAIDED DOUGH ONTO A PARCHMENT-LINED BAKING SHEET. PLACE IN A WARM PLACE (I PLACE MINE ON MY STOVE-TOP WITH THE OVEN PREHEATING). LET RISE FOR 10-20 MINUTES OR UNTIL VISIBLY MORE PUFFY.
- BEAT ONE EGG INTO A SMALL BOWL. PAINT THE BEATEN EGG ONTO THE BRAIDED CHALLAH DOUGH.
- SPRINKLE ON KOSHER SALT (LIBERALLY) ALL OVER THE SIDES AND TOP OF THE CHALLAH.
- BAKE YOUR CHALLAH FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN/REDDISH BROWN IN COLOR AND THE SMELL OF DELICIOUS JEWISH GOODNESS FILLS YOUR NOSTRILS.
- ENJOY & SHALOM!
Ian says
We love this challah bread so much!