Basic Challah Bread a simple, easy and comforting recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes challah bread different from regular bread? ›

Challah is almost always pareve (containing neither dairy nor meat—important in the laws of Kashrut), unlike brioche and other enriched European breads, which contain butter or milk as it is typically eaten with a meat meal.

The basic blueprint has stayed the same: A rich, slightly sweet bread made with flour, eggs, oil, yeast, and honey. Whether you stick to the classic, top with poppy or sesame seeds, add golden raisins, shape it, stuff it, or swirl it, challah is one of the best (and easiest) breads to make at home.

Bread flour: bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour, making for a chewier loaf of bread. If you do not have bread flour, all-purpose flour may be substituted in equal amounts. Yeast: I recommend using instant yeast for this recipe.

The best baking temperature for *most* challahs is about 190°C / 365-375°F.

Challah functions as a physical metaphor for manna from heaven at the sabbath meal. It is baked for sharing during shabbat; candles lit, wine poured, blessings made and prayers shared.

Challah and brioche bread are similar, but differ from each other in important ways. Both are ever so slightly sweet and enriched with eggs and fat, making them richer than other breads. But challah uses more eggs and less fat than brioche bread.

The total lipid fats in a serving of challah bread is two grams, or three percent of your recommended daily value. The total saturated fat amount in a serving is 0.26 grams, and you will not find any unhealthy trans fats.

There are a couple key characteristics that distinguish challah from other enriched breads, beginning with its shape, which varies depending on the holiday: plaits for the Sabbath, or rounds for the High Holidays to commemorate the returning cycle of a new year.

The hint of sweetness in challah makes it perfect for experimenting with salty-sweet combos. A classic grilled cheese tastes brand new on this bread, but you can take it over the top with the addition of spicy fried chicken, blue cheese sauce, and smoked gouda.

Amount of flour: The key to a soft loaf that isn't dense is to use as little flour as possible.

Which oil is best for challah? ›

In place of sugar, honey or maple syrup provide sweetness and moisture. Olive oil imparts a flavorful, herbaceous note to the bread — you can use a neutral oil, too, but the flavor of the former is truly something special. The focus on egg yolks, rather than eggs, ensures a tender, chewy crumb.

Separate challah without a brocha when using flour weighing between 1.23kg and 1.67kg (between approximately 8 to 12 cups of unsifted flour or 9 and 15 cups of sifted flour). Separate challah with a brocha when using flour weighing more than 1.67kg (approximately 12cups of unsifted flour or 15 cups of sifted flour) .

Allow the dough to rest and rise for 8–10 hours—overnight is perfect! Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

A crucial mistake that is often made is not passing the flour through a sieve before using it. If you don't sift the flour, the result is bread that is too dense and heavy. Sifting is what gives challah its soft, airy texture.

How do you know when your bread is done? Follow the allotted bake time in your recipe. Otherwise, you can go based on look and feel. The crust on the challah should be a medium-dark brown, and when you lift up the loaf and tap the bottom, it should sound like a hollow thud.

The term “challah” is applied more widely to mean any bread used in Jewish rituals. On the eve of Shabbat, two loaves are placed on the table to reference the Jewish teaching that a double portion of manna fell from heaven on Friday to last through the Saturday Shabbat.

Challah is a loaf of braided bread that is made with eggs, flour, yeast, and salt. It is typically pale yellow due to the number of eggs used in its creation. Some challah recipes actually call for raisins, honey, and seeds, but it all depends on your preferences and what you are celebrating.

Due to the addition of eggs and honey in the recipe, it is richer than regular bread, slightly sweet and delicious with unsalted butter.