Best Challah Bread - Braided Bread

5 from 15 votes

Challah bread is soft, delicious, easy to make, rich, and slightly sweet, braided Jewish bread—a showstopper bread at your dinner table.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Resting Time2 30

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: jewish

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 215kcal

Author: Kushi

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.