Traditional Challah Recipe

Traditional Challah Recipe

Challah - a soft, and pillowy bread you'd want to eat every day. Rich egg yolk enriched dough which doesn't even require much kneading making it a super easy bread to make.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Jewish

Keyword Bread, Challah, Homemade, Soft Bread

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 30

Resting Time 30

Total Time 4

Servings medium slices

Calories 111kcal

Author Niveditha

Equipment

An oven
Mixing Bowl
Wooden Spatula

Ingredients

205 ml Lukewarm Water
7 g Instant Yeast
85 g Egg Yolks
75 g Granulated Sugar
35 ml Vegetable Oil
9 g salt
460 g All-purpose flour , plus 20g for dusting

Topping:

1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds , hulled
1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds

Egg Wash:

2 tablespoon Egg Whites
4 tablespoon Water

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the water and the instant yeast. Give a quick stir.
Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and the sugar. Using a wire whisk, whisk to break up the yolks and stir.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and the salt. Add this to the wet ingredients.
Gently fold and mix it until it comes together. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Mix the dough agian with the spatula for 2 more minutes. Then, transfer the dough tto a floured counter. Knead for 5 minutes, dust as and when required, until the dough is soft and supple.
Place it in an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise for approximately 2 hours or less or until the dough has doubled in volume.
After it has risen. punch it down and knead it once on a counter.
Divide the dough into two portions. Make individual strands and shape into two braided loaves. *(See video for a 4 strand braid)
Preheat the oven at 170 C for 10 minutes.
Move the braided loaves onto a pan with enough space between the two loaves. Brush the entire top parts of the loaves with the egg wash. Sprinkle the seeds on it.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Switch to broil mode for the last 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it cool down. Slice usign a bread knife and serve!

Notes

The video shows how to braid a 4 strand loaf.
Make use of the reserved Egg whites by making an omelet or something else.
Storing: This bread stays good for 2-3 days in room temperature. Keep it in a covered air-tight box
Rising Time: it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to rise in tropical weather on a cool day. It takes even less when placed near an oven or a stove. So, take care to check on your dough to see if it has doubled.

Nutrition