Bread Machine Challah

The glossy braided egg bread at the center of Jewish Shabbat and holiday tables, made approachable by letting a bread machine handle the kneading and the first rise. Enriched with eggs, oil, and a little sugar, challah bakes up soft, tender, and faintly sweet, with that pillowy pull-apart crumb.

The machine does the hard part, but the soul of challah is the braid, which you shape by hand once the dough is ready. Rolling the dough into ropes and weaving them gives the loaf its iconic look and a beautiful, even crumb.

A brush of egg wash before baking is what gives challah its deep mahogany shine, so don’t skip it.

This batch makes two loaves, ideal for sharing or for keeping one and freezing the other. Day-old slices, by the way, make the very best French toast or bread pudding you will ever eat.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the bread machine on the dough cycle only; pull the dough out to braid and bake in a regular oven for the classic shape and crust.
• Brush with a beaten egg wash before baking for that signature glossy, golden-brown crust.
• Let the braided loaf rise again until puffy before baking so it stays light, not dense.
• Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds right after the egg wash if you like.

Variations

• Add raisins to the dough for a sweeter Rosh Hashanah-style challah.
• Shape it into a round, coiled loaf for the High Holidays.
• Braid with four or six strands for a more elaborate loaf.