Challah bread is soft, delicious, easy to make, rich, and slightly sweet, braided Jewish bread—a showstopper bread at your dinner table.
Also, check out our easy homemade Ciabatta roll, popular and trending Vienna bread, or simple Swiss zopf bread.
About the recipe
Challah bread is pillowy soft, delightful braided bread served traditionally weekly for the Jewish sabbath and holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah.
Challah (pronounced "ha-luh" with silent c) is a yeast dough prepared using eggs, butter, and sugar with flour. Authentic challah loaf is pareve (food does not contain dairy or meat together, which is essential in the laws of Kashrut). If you are keeping it Kosher, substitute butter with canola or vegetable oil in the recipe.
I have simple and plain challah bread. You can always top it with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or chia seeds or even add raisins to the batter.
Challah's symbolic braid
- 3-strand challah is very popular, symbolizing truth, peace, and justice.
- Six strand challah symbolizes six days of the week aside from the sabbath.
- Challah braid with 12 humps means 12 tribes of Israel.
- Round or spiral-shaped challahs are prepared specially for Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year, symbolizing continuity and wheels of seasons.
While you are here, also check out another rich and delicious brioche bread and bun.
Ingredients
To make soft and pillowy challah bread, you need yeast, warm water, egg, flour, sugar, salt, and butter. Softness and richness come from the butter. If you want to keep it kosher, use vegetable or neutral oils.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Activate the yeast
Add lukewarm water and teaspoon of sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast. Cover and keep it undisturbed for 5 to 10 minutes. Let the yeast activate.
Make the challah dough
- To the activated yeast, add eggs and whisk. Add sugar, salt, melted butter, and flour 1 cup at a time and mix using a wooden spoon or kitchen aid mixer until the dough has come together.
- Transfer the dough to the floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rise
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let this rise in a warm place for about 1 or 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Braid the challah
- Dust the working surface. Transfer the dough and divide them into three equal portions.
- Make three tubes or ropes from these portions.
- Pinch the ends of the 3 ropes together, start braiding from the middle, and again pinch the ends together.
Let the braided dough rise again
Grease the baking pan or line the baking pan with parchment paper. Transfer the braided dough. Cover it with a towel and keep it in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Bake challah bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the egg white and two teaspoons of water to a bowl and mix. Brush the risen dough using this egg white and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is golden brown.
- Cool it on a wire rack for 30 minutes before you slice.
Tips
- Challah is traditionally pareve (food does not contain dairy or meat together, which is important in the laws of Kashrut). If you are keeping it Kosher, substitute butter with canola or vegetable oil in the recipe.
- You can always top it with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or chia seeds or even add raisins to the batter.
Recipe FAQS
Leftover challah bread can be used to make sandwiches, french toast, or bread pudding.
You can store the bread at your kitchen counter for 3 to 4 days. Just make sure you wrap them tightly using plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Yes. You can store the entire loaf or cut them into slices in a ziplock or freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Just thaw before serving.
Challah bread can be served plain, topped with sesame or poppy seeds. You can drizzle slices with honey, spread the jam of your choice, make a simple toast, or use it for sandwiches, bread pudding, or French toast.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Recipe card
Best Challah Bread - Braided Bread
Equipment
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Active dry yeast
- 1 cup Warm water
- 2 Eggs
- 4 cups All purpose flour
- ¼ cup Sugar, additional 1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Melted unsalted butter
- 1 Egg white
Instructions
Activate the yeast
- Add lukewarm water and teaspoon of sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast.1 cup Warm water, 2 ¼ teaspoon Active dry yeast
- Cover and keep it undisturbed for 5 to 10 minutes. Let the yeast activate.
Make the challah dough
- To the activated yeast, add eggs and whisk. Add sugar, salt, melted butter, and flour 1 cup at a time and mix using a wooden spoon or kitchen aid mixer until the dough has come together.2 Eggs, ¼ cup Sugar, additional 1 tsp, 1 teaspoon Salt, ¼ cup Melted unsalted butter, 4 cups All purpose flour
- Transfer the dough to the floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rise
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let this rise in a warm place for about 1 or 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Braid the challah
- Dust the working surface. Transfer the dough and divide them into three equal portions.
- Make three tubes or ropes from these portions.
- Pinch the ends of 3 ropes together, start braiding from the middle, and again pinch the ends together.
Let the braided dough rise again
- Grease the baking pan or line the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer the braided dough. Cover it with a towel and keep it in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Bake challah bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the egg white and two teaspoons of water to a bowl and mix. Brush the risen dough using this egg white and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is golden brown.1 Egg white
- Cool it on a wire rack for 30 minutes before you slice.
Notes
- Challah is traditionally pareve (food does not contain dairy or meat together, which is important in the laws of Kashrut). If you are keeping it Kosher, substitute butter with canola or vegetable oil in the recipe.
- You can always top it with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or chia seeds or even add raisins to the batter.
- Store the bread at your kitchen counter for 3 to 4 days. Just make sure you wrap them tightly using plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Store the entire loaf or cut them into slices in a ziplock or freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Just thaw before serving.
Nutrition
This recipe for challah was first published in Aug 2015. The post has been updated with a recipe card, calorie information, and more details.
Sam
This bread is amazing! Super simple to make and absolutely delicious.
Kevin Foodie
I love Challah bread. Buy them all the time from the supermarket. They are firm but super soft. I like idea of the sesame seeds on top. The ones I have purchase from the store looks like they use the yoke of the egg to brush onto the rising dough. I am happy to learn from your recipe how to make my own at home. Thanks for sharing
Anthony Pilla
I absolutely adore the warm, fluffy texture and the slightly sweet taste of challah. Thanks for the share!
Stephanie
Such a delicious challah bread recipe! Thank you for such detailed instructions.
Noune
our bread looks amazing! I usually make an Armenian version of Challah called Chorek once a year during Easter, but I'm definitely going to try your version. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Robin
I used to love challah bread when I was in college!
Jess
So delicious and fluffy!