Equipment
This recipe can be made with your hands and a large bowl, but the process is definitely made easier and the results will be better if you use the appropriate equipment.
- Bosch Mixer fitted with the dough hook. Alternatively you can use a kitchen aid mixer fitted with the dough hook, or your hands!
- Bench scraper is used to portion out the dough. You can use a knife instead, but don't tear the dough as it pulls and breaks the gluten chains.
- Kitchen scale. Weighing each strand of dough ensures that the challah comes out consistently shaped and bakes evenly. If you don't have a kitchen scale (you should get one!) you can portion out the dough as evenly as possible.
- Rolling pin to roll out each strand of dough in order to form the strands. This helps create an airy center in the challah. You can use any smooth bottle (wine!) if you don't have a rolling pin.
- Pastry brush for brushing on egg wash before baking. You can use your fingers if you don't have a brush.
Ingredients
- 4 packets (or 3 tbsp) rapid rise yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 cups lukewarm water, divided
- 1 1/2 cups honey
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 1/4 c + 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 egg
- 5 lbs. high gluten or bread flour, sifted
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, beaten, for eggwash
Sweet Crumb Topping
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3-1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Other Topping Options
- Sesame Seeds
- Everything But the Bagel
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Either add all of the ingredients to a mixer, or add the yeast, sugar and 1 cup lukewarm water to a bowl and rest for a few minutes until the yeast starts to bloom. Add the honey, salt, 1 1/4 c oil and egg and mix to incorporate. Stir in 3 cups of lukewarm water.
- Add half of the flour and mix with a spoon until creamy. Add almost all of the rest of the flour (leaving over 1/2 cup or so) and knead with your hands until your dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Mix all of the ingredients of the Sweet Crumb topping with a spoon until crumbly OR prep your alternative topping.
- When you are done kneading, grease the dough with remaining oil and cover it with a towel. Put it in a warm place (I like to put my oven on 200 degrees and put it on top of the oven).
- Leave the dough to rise for 1 1/2-2 hours. Pound challah down, and braid. Preheat oven to 350. When you are done shaping the loaves, leave them to rise for 30 minutes.
- Brush with egg and topping of choice. Bake at 350 until golden brown, about 35 minutes. (check the bottoms of the challahs, they should be browned and hollow when you tap on them). Serve warm!
How to Braid a 4-strand Challah: Step by Step guide:
How to get creative with your leftovers
- Use the challah for french toast on Sunday Morning.
- Use it for weekday sandwich bread.
- Save it for a bread pudding.
- Make stuffing.
- Make garlic bread.
- Make homemade croutons.
- Make homemade breadcrumbs.
Can you freeze Challah?
Yes! This challah recipe freezes beautifully. Store the cooled challahs in ziplock freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer a few hours before serving and defrost at room temperature on the counter.
Notes
- The yeast come in envelopes of 3, use 1 3-pack plus a fourth packet from another 3-pack.
- To halve the recipe, simply divide all the ingredients in half besides the egg and use 1 full egg in the recipe.
- If you have allergies, I have prepared this recipe without any eggs, and it works great!
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Non-Recipe Examples
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