Challah Bread

I have been thinking of baking bread since many days but just don’t get the time or it doesn’t feel like something worth the effort. But this bread looked so pretty that I thought of giving it a try and I don’t regret it because the house smells heavenly! Challah, pronounced Hahlah, is a Jewish braided bread which is rich and eggy and eaten on Sabbath or special occasions. It can be braided with two, three or even six strands or made into a round ring shape that is served during the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. 

One word of advice: Make sure the dough strands are of similar width and length so that you get even-shaped braids. They must be slightly thick so that when the bread is baked, the braids rise and look well-defined. Mine were a little uneven and I hope to make it look perfect the next time. The braiding process, especially one with six strands, is very intricate. A was supposed to video me shaping the bread but he was busy with something 🙁Until I make it again and post the video, you can check out this Youtube video from where I learnt it.

It looks difficult but once you understand it, it takes only a minute. If you don’t want to braid it, you can also make Challah rolls by simply tying up one thick strand into a loose knot and tucking the ends under the dough so that the whole dough looks roundish with a twisted top. The bread can be filled with raisins and dry fruits and topped with sesame or poppy seeds. I made a few adjustments and also added a bit of whole wheat flour along with plain flour.

Prep Time: 40 min (+ 4 hours for the dough to rise) Baking time: 25 min Serves: 2 loaves

Eggs: 4

Oil: 2 tbsp

Honey: 1 tbsp

Sugar: 4 tbsp

Salt: 1 tsp

Boiling water: ½ cup

Active dry yeast: 1 packet (7 gm)

Warm water: 1/4^th cup
Room temperature water: 2 tbsp

All-purpose flour: 3 ½ cups

Whole wheat flour: ½ cup

Poppy or sesame seeds: 2-3 tbsp

      1) Mix yeast with warm water, a pinch of sugar and let it bubble for 7 min. Also, beat 3 eggs and keep aside.

2) In another bowl, mix the oil, honey, sugar, salt and add boiling water to it. Add the yeast mixture and beaten eggs to it and mix. Add the room temperature water; the quantity can be modified by one or two tbsps depending on the type of flour you are using.
3) Add the flour (plain and whole wheat), one cup at a time, and make a dough. The dough will be sticky and soft, so knead it on a floured surface for 5 minutes till the texture is springy. Do not overknead it.

4) Put the dough in a well-greased bowl, cover it with a wet cloth and let it rise at room temperature for at least 2 hours or till it doubles in size. Or put it in the oven which has been preheated at 170 degrees F (‘keep warm’ setting) and has been switched off. But be careful not to let it rise for too long as the bread’s texture will be dry and crumbly if the dough rises at a very hot temperature.

5) Once it doubles in size, punch it and knead it again for 5 min. Braid the bread, cover it and let it rise for around 2 hours again. Slow rising helps to keep the bread soft.

6) Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Beat one egg and apply it over the bread like an egg wash and sprinkle some poppy seeds on it. Bake the bread for 20-25 min.

7) If the bread sounds hollow when you tap the bottom, it is done. Take it out and let it cool for 30 min before you slice it. (I cover the bread with a tea cozy or a high saucepan lid so that it doesn’t dry out. The biggest problem I faced when I started baking bread is that it became dry within a day.)
8) Spread some butter on it and eat the warm bread, serve with any savoury main course or you can even make sweet or salty French Toast with this bread for breakfast.