Best Challah Bread

Challah Bread Quantity	Ingredient
20 ml	Granulated sugar
250 ml	Warm water (38C)
30 ml	Active dry yeast
150ml	Liquid manuka or other honey
4 large	Eggs, room temperature
4 large	Egg yolks, room temperature	Lightly beat eggs with yolks.
150 g	olive oil
10 ml	Salt
1,750 l	All-purpose flour
Glaze:
1	Large egg yolk, lightly beaten
30 ml	Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Preparation

Any heavy duty mixer can be used, or prepare it according to the traditional method for making bread which I describe in detail in my How-to section on making great bread.

• Warm the large bowl of your stand mixer with hot water. Empty this then dissolve the sugar in the warm water specified in my recipe above. Sprinkle in the yeast; let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Add honey and the beaten eggs and yolks to dissolved yeast. Beat with paddle attachment for 10 seconds on speed 2.
• Add melted butter and salt, and beat on speed 2 for 10 seconds.

NB: For the following steps always start at the “stir” setting and never use a setting higher than 2.

• Add 500 ml flour to yeast mixture and beat 15 seconds or until well blended, using paddle attachment. Scrape down the bowl once.
• Add another 500 ml flour and beat 15 seconds or until well blended, using paddle attachment. Scrape down bowl once.
• Switch to dough hook, cleaning paddle well and add any bits of dough to mixture in bowl.
• Add another 500 ml flour and knead 30 seconds or until well blended, using dough hook. Scrape down bowl once.
• Add the last 250 ml flour and knead 15 to 30 seconds or until well blended, using dough hook. Scrape down bowl once or twice. Knead another 30 seconds.
• Touch dough. If it feels sticky, add about 30 ml flour and knead in well, about 60 seconds. If dough is really sticky, add another 30 ml and knead, but make sure dough is not too dry!
• Knead for another 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. NB: A more moist dough is tougher to handle but once baked will yield a more delicate texture.
• Gather into a ball and place in a clean, lightly greased bowl (I use butter), turning dough so that it is completely covered. Cover the bowl loosely with cling film and place in a draft free area; allow to rest for 50 – 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Once the dough has doubled in size and an indentation remains when dough is poked with 2 fingers (then it’s ready!), punch it down lightly and turn out on a floured surface. Knead lightly just a few times, kneading in raisins at this time if you wish (don’t knead more than 3 or 4 times). Let dough rest for 5 minutes or so.
• Line a large baking sheet with a wide sheet of baking parchment, or grease the sheet lightly.
• The following technique for making beautiful, double braided loaves is from the Fleischmann’s Yeast cookbook, but you can shape the dough into any shapes you prefer, including individual loaves.
  • Divide the dough into two. Gather half of the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl, leaving it covered.
  • Meanwhile, take the other half and divide into two parts, one equal to 1/3 and the other 2/3 of the dough. Take the larger part, cut into three equal pieces, and roll each into a long 30.5 cm (12 inch) strand. Braid, pinch ends to seal, and place on baking sheet. Now do the same with the smaller piece of dough, rolling each 1/3 into 25.4 cm (10 inch strands). Braid, pinch the ends to seal, and place on top of larger braid.
  • Repeat with remaining dough.
  Alternatively, make a single 4-strand braid like so:
  • Divide dough into quarters; roll each into 18-inch 45 cm long ropes. Place side by side on greased rimmed baking sheet; pinch together at one end. Starting at pinched end, move second rope from left over rope on its right. Move far right rope over two ropes on left. Move far left rope over 2 ropes on right. Repeat until braid is complete; tuck ends under braid.
  • Cover with cling film or a clean tea towel and allow to rise for 40 to 60 min until doubled in size.

  Baking

  • Once the loaves have risen, preheat the oven to 180C (350F), and place rack in bottom third of oven.
  • Glaze the challahs with the beaten egg and water, and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
  • Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes (or 35 to 45 minutes for large braid) until golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Don’t underbake!