The Best Challah Bread
You’ll absolutely love this Homemade Challah Bread recipe! It yields a soft, rich, and slightly sweet braided loaf, golden-brown and light as air.
Servings: 12 Slices
Calories: 254kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, (one packet)
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 whole eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 5 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Topping
- 1 whole egg, room temperature
- 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix yeast, water, sugar, and honey together and let sit until a frothy layer begins to form.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together three eggs and oil on low speed until combined.
- Switch to a bread hook attachment and pour in the yeast mixture, flour, and salt. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not sticky. Sprinkle in more flour, one tablespoon at a time, as needed.
- Grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and place it into the greased bowl, rolling it around to cover it in a layer of oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm environment for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled.
- Gently punch the risen dough to deflate and move to a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 3 to 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long “snake” shape, about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
- Lay the three long pieces of dough parallel to each other. Pinch the ends on one side together and begin to braid the pieces. Continue braiding until you can pinch the three ends together again, forming a single loaf.
- Grease a baking sheet with oil and place the loaf on top. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm environment for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the remaining egg and brush over the top of the loaf. Optionally, sprinkle the loaf with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. The loaf should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. If it doesn’t sound hollow yet, continue baking in 2 to 4 minute increments.
- Let challah cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 3mg