Egg Challah Bread
Submitted by brendan
Honey-sweetened yeast dough enriched with eggs and oil gets kneaded until elastic, then shaped into a round spiral loaf and brushed with egg wash for a golden Jewish bread that’s tender and slightly sweet.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
2 hrsChallah is the braided bread you see on Shabbat tables, but this version takes a simpler approach with a gorgeous spiral shape.
The dough is enriched with eggs, honey, and vegetable oil instead of butter, giving it a soft, pillowy texture that stays fresh for days. After two rises, you roll the dough into a long rope and curl it into a spiral on the baking sheet. A final egg wash creates that signature shiny, golden crust that makes challah so beautiful.
Slice it thick for French toast or tear off pieces to dip in soup.
Pro Tips
- Proof the yeast: The initial bubbling proves your yeast is alive before you commit all the ingredients.
- Knead until elastic: A full 10 minutes of kneading develops gluten for that tender, pull-apart texture.
- Two-temperature baking: Starting hot (375°F) then reducing (350°F) creates a golden crust without drying out the interior.
- Make ahead: This dough handles multiple rises well, so you can refrigerate it overnight after the first rise and bake fresh the next day.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine these ingredients and let sit in warm place until it bubbles and foams, proofing the yeast and sift 2½ cups of the flour into a glass bowl.
Make a well in the center and add the yeast, 3 eggs, veg. oil, honey and salt.
Beat either with dough hooks, or by hand until well mixed and a soft dough is formed.
Start to add more flour and knead it in until you get a non-sticky dough ball.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead it for ten minutes until very elastic. 3 to 5 mins.
Oil a bowl and place the dough ball in it and coat well.
Cover and let rise in warm place for 2½ hrs.
Punch down.
Let stand covered for 1 hour. Punch down.
Remove to floured board and shape into a round by rolling on the board until it is a rope.
Curl it up and place on oiled sheet and cover and let stand for 1 hour or until double.
Brush with beaten egg and bake at 375℉ (190℃) for 15 mins., lower to 350℉ (180℃) and bake for 25 mins.
Comments
How much yeast?
Just updated the recipe, should be 1 tablespoon yeast.