RECIPE: CHALLAH

This challah is the BEST. The recipe is actually by our close family friend, Carol. She made this challah for everyone at my wedding. Like every single table got one. Seriously. Not only do I love eating it, but I love the memories we have surrounding it. Friday nights with family and friends, eating this soft, chewy bread, spread with butter or dipped in honey. Every time my mom would make challah, the whole house was filled with the smell of baking bread! That’s probably my favorite smell in the whole world. That and my newborn babies. Equally delicious.
Full recipe below.
RECIPE:
Mom’s Famous Challah
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp honey
1 pkg yeast
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 – 4 1/2 c bread flour
1 egg yolk
  1. Dissolve 1 tsp honey in 1/2 c. warm water in large mixing bowl which has been rinsed with hot water.
  2. Sprinkle yeast on top, mix, let stand 10 min.
    Stir in oil, 1/2 c. warm water, sugar, 1 tsp honey, salt, eggs, and 2 c. flour. Beat well.
  3. Stir in remaining 2 c. flour. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky when you test it with your finger, add another 1/2 cup of flour.
  4. Knead 2-3 minutes with a bread hook attachment or turn onto a floured board and knead.
  5. Round up in greased bowl (I just use the same dough bowl and put vegetable oil all around it), cover, and let rise in a warm place for 2 hrs. It should have doubled in size. Gently put finger in top; if dough stays indented, it’s finished. If it bounces back, continue to rise.
  6. Punch down, cover, let rise again 45 min.
  7. Prep the counter with cooking spray.
  8. Divide the dough on the counter into three or four sections and loosely braid* (instructions below), tucking in the ends. Put the braided challah on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  9. Cover loosely with saran wrap or a non-textured kitchen towel and let rise 20-30 minutes.
  10. Brush with beaten egg yolk and 1 tsp water.
  11. Bake 400 degrees 20 min or until it’s a good color on top. Cover the top with foil, put it back into the oven for 5-8 minutes until a toothpick in the center of a braid comes out clean.
  12. Immediately remove the challah from the tray and place on a wire rack so the bottom doesn’t continue to bake.
  13. Eat! Delicious with butter and/or honey. Perfect the next morning for french toast.
* Traditional challahs are braided in one row. On holidays or special occasions, it’s made into a circle.
* This video tutorial is super helpful! I usually do a 4 strand with a circle challah, but I LOVE the 5 strand technique for a straight loaf: CLICK HERE.
* Round challah braiding tutorial (above) CLICK HERE
* Four strand challah:
Divide dough into 4 equal sections
Leave the ends loose if you’re making this into a circle- you’ll weave these ends in at the end when you connect your circle
Take the strand at the left and weave it over-under-over the other three strands
Take the next strand at the left and do the same- weave it over-under-over the other three strands
Repeat until you can’t anymore, form it into a circle and connect the ends on each side- just sort of weave them together…as long as they stay together it’s fine! Just keep tucking the ends in.
xo, Leah