This gorgeous loaf of challah is so versatile – you can eat it plain, turn it into a sandwich, or make bread pudding with it!
All-purpose flour is FINALLY getting back to “normal” levels around here. It took me about 3 months to find some in our local grocery store. During the height of the pandemic, I had to order some online. Now that flour is more readily available, I can finally go back to bread baking again. Although… I still can’t find any bread flour around me (I have to buy that online as well).
One bread that I absolutely adore is challah. It’s super light, fluffy, and it has a gorgeous golden hue. I typically like toasting a slice for breakfast and slathering on my favorite fruit jam or Nutella. However, because I haven’t been able to find flour until now, I didn’t make any for a while. Since scoring my last bag of flour, I made it a point to bake some challah. It’s a bread that my entire family enjoys and can be used for just about anything.
What I like about this particular recipe is that it doesn’t require any special ingredients. It just needs some kneading and some time to rise. The entire loaf can be baked in just a few hours. Plus, it doesn’t require any overnight proofing or feeding like a typical sourdough does.
After my dough rose for the first time, I asked Addie to teach me how to braid it. She looked up a video on YouTube and told me what to do. Then we let it rise again and we baked it while we were eating our lunch. After lunch was over, our bread was out of the oven.
If you’re looking for a super impressive bread that doesn’t require a lot of work, try this challah.
Husband’s rating: 4 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 4 out of 5
Challah bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast I used instant
- 4 and ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk save the egg white for brushing on top of the bread
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, mix the warm water and yeast together. Add a pinch of granulated sugar and let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes or until frothy.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment or in a large bowl if mixing by hand, add the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Turn the mixer on low and add in the eggs, egg yolk and oil. Then add in the yeast mixture and mix on medium slow speed. Your final dough should be smooth and tacky, but not sticky. It should not stick to your hands. If the dough is still too sticky, add a little bit of flour at a time until it is no longer sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl. Cover and allow to double, about 1-2 hours.
- Lightly flour a working surface. Divide the dough into 3 or 6 equal parts. Connect the tops of the strands together by pushing down on them. Braid the bread (I did a quick YouTube search for 6 braid challah and found one from King Arthur Flour). Tuck both ends under and transfer to a well-greased loaf pan.
- Brush the top of the bread with the remaining egg white. Make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies. Allow the bread to rise again, for another hour or so.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place your bread into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
- Allow the bread to cool slightly before turning it out and allowing to fully cool on a wire rack.