challah bread recipe

Classic Challah Bread recipe made with flour, milk &amp; eggs. Easy Challah with step-by-step instructions for perfect bread with a lovely soft, feathery texture.

Challah Bread Recipe

bread flour

instant yeast

tsp salt

sugar

milk, plus 1 teaspoon

eggs

tbsp milk

tsp white sesame seeds

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook.

On low speed, gradually add all wet ingredients followed by this order: eggs, milk, and oil. If the dough is still dry, add the extra tsp of milk. Don&#039;t use more than 2tsp or the dough will become very wet.

Mix until the dough starts to come together and pull away from the side of mixing bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl if needed.

Increase the speed to medium low and mix until the dough is smooth but still sticks to the bottom, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.

Start kneading the dough with your hand. Use your fingertips and gently lift and fold edge of the dough that&#039;s farthest away from you toward the middle.Turn the dough 90 degrees and fold again.

Repeat the process of turning and folding the dough until it forms a smooth dough, approximately 30 to 45 seconds.

Mix Dough

Turn the dough seam side down in a lightly greased or lined with plastic wrap large mixing bowl.

Cover tightly and let it proof until the size increases at least by half, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.

First Rise (1.5- 2 hours)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in 2 pieces. One piece is 1/3 while the other is 2/3 the total size of the dough.

Work with the bigger piece first, remember to cover the other one with plastic wrap or damp towel to prevent it from drying out.

Stretch and roll the dough into a log, then cut it into 3 equal pieces. Make sure the rope is shorter than your baking pan.

Arrange 3 ropes perpendicular and pinch 1 ends together. Braid the ropes by pick up the left string and put over the middle string. Then pick up the right string and put it over the one in the middle again. Repeat the process until you reach the end of the rope then pinch the remaining together.

Repeat step 11 to step 13 for the smaller dough. Then place it on top of the bigger loaf.

Shape Dough into Braid

Transfer the larger braided loaf to a rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Cover the pan loosely and let the dough proof until the size creases at least by half, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Second Rise (1- 1.5 hours)

Preheat oven to 375F. Brush the bread lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with white sesame seeds.

Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes, remember to rotate the baking pan half way through the process.

The bread should have a deep golden brown color when finish baking. Let the bread cool down at room temperature completely before serving.

Bake Bread

This garlic-herb and parmesan challah bread is so soft, light and delicious. Very nice and interesting twist to traditional challah bread. 


Garlic Parmesan Herb Challah Bread Recipe

(500 grams) all-purpose Flour

Instant dry yeast

(60 milliliters) Vegetable oil

(50 grams) Sugar

(6 grams) salt

(33 grams) grated parmesan cheese

garlic powder

parsley

thyme leaves

oregano

(180 milliliters) water

Egg + 1 tbsp water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYIyqwbfpmY

This Challah Bread recipe is the absolute BEST. The bread bakes up the way it's supposed to with that airy, soft interior and golden brown crust.

The Best Soft and Fluffy Challah Bread

(118 ml) water

(24 grams) bread flour

(59 ml) water

(30 ml) vegetable oil

(344 grams) bread flour

yeast yeast

(50 grams) granulated sugar

(5 grams) kosher salt

Vegetable oil spray

kosher salt

(6 grams) sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

Whisk water and flour in bowl until no lumps remain.

Microwave, whisking every 20 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency that forms a mound when dropped from the end of a whisk into the bowl, about 40 to 80 seconds.

Make the Flour Paste:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour paste from Step 1, egg and yolks, water, and oil until well combined.

Add flour and yeast. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until all flour is moistened, 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Add the sugar and salt to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 9 minutes (dough will be quite firm and dry).

Transfer dough to counter and lightly spray now-empty mixer bowl with vegetable oil spray. Knead the dough briefly to form a ball and return it to the oiled bowl. Lightly spray the dough with vegetable oil spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until about doubled in volume, about 1 ½ hours.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and nest in a second rimmed baking sheet to prevent the bottom of the bread from getting too browned or burnt.

Transfer the dough to a clean counter and press into an 8-inch square, expelling as much air as possible.

Cut the dough in half lengthwise to form 2 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise to form 4 equal strips of dough. Roll 1 strip of dough into a 16-inch rope. Continue rolling, tapering ends, until rope is 18 inches long. Repeat with remaining dough strips. Arrange ropes in plus-sign shape, with the end ends overlapping in the center by ½ inch. Firmly press the center of the plus sign in the center to seal the ropes to each other and to the counter.

Make the Dough:

Lift the rope at 12 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 5 o’clock position. Lift the rope at 6 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 12 o’clock position. Lift the rope at 9 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 4 o’clock position. Life the rope at 3 o’clock and, working toward yourself, bring over the braid and place in the 8 o’clock position. Adjust ropes so they are at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions.

Repeat these steps, working toward yourself, until you can no longer braid. The loaf will naturally list to one side. Pinch the ends of the rope together and tuck both ends under the braid. Carefully transfer the braid to the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough does not spring back fully when gently pressed with your knuckle, about 3 hours.

Braid Dough:

Thirty Minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together egg and salt. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if using.

Make the Egg Wash:

Bake until the loaf is deep golden brown and registers at least 195 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 20 minutes. Transfer baked loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.

Bake:

Learn how to braid a 4-strand challah dough recipe from America&#039;s Test Kitchen.

How to Braid a 4-Strand Challah

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Challah Bread Recipe

Garlic Parmesan Herb Challah Bread ...

The Best Soft and Fluffy Challah Br...

Top 3 challah bread recipe recipes from across the web

The most viewed challah bread recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Challah Bread Recipe

Garlic Parmesan Herb Challah Bread ...

The Best Soft and Fluffy Challah Br...

The most viewed challah bread recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine