Challah Bread
Bring a touch of tradition to your kitchen with this soft, golden, slightly sweet challah bread—braided to perfection and sure to impress at your table!
- Yield: 1-2 Loaves
- Prep Time: 2 hr 30 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
Ingredients
Challah Bread
1 Cup (225ml) Warm Water
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon (10g) Kosher Salt
2 Medium Eggs, 1 for Egg Wash
Optional Toppings
Sesame Seeds
Poppy Seeds
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
Forming Challah Bread
- In a small bowl, add warm water, sugar, and yeast (Caputo Lievito or active dry yeast). Let this sit for 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to get foamy.
- To a large bowl, add Caputo "00" Chefs Flour, yeast mixture, 1/4 cup of Olitalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and 1 egg. Combine and knead for 10 minutes.
- Next, add salt and knead for another 2-3 minutes until combined.
- Place your dough in a well-oiled bowl with Olitalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Let the dough rest for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and reform it into a ball, cover it, and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
- Take out your dough and decide how many loaves you're making. If you are making 1 loaf, separate it into 4 parts. If you are making 2 loaves, separate into 8 parts. Specific measurements below:
- (2 loaves) 8 parts—110 g each
- (1 loaf) 4 parts—220 g each
- Roll each piece into a long strand; be sure to pop any air bubbles you see.
- Let the strands rest for another 30 minutes before you braid the dough.
Braiding Challah Bread
- Once your strands have rested, reroll them out to get them a bit longer.
- Place your 4 strands vertically on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pinch them all together at the top.
- Cross the top left strand to the top right corner and the top right strand to the top left, overlapping each other.
- Now take the farthest right strand and place it down the middle.
- Now take your second strand on the left and cross it over to the open space on the right.
- Repeat steps 1 through 3, alternating from the left and right.
- Watch the video below!
Proofing, Baking, and Serving
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Once your challah is braided, cover it in plastic wrap and begin to make your egg wash that you will brush over the top.
- Crack one egg into a small bowl and whisk together with a splash of water. Brush this over your challah and add any additional toppings; we recommend sesame and poppy seeds.
- Cover your bread in plastic wrap and let it proof for 30 minutes to an hour, until the dough slowly springs back when you press on it.
- Once proofed, remove the plastic and brush another round of egg wash onto the challah before placing it in the oven.
- Bake your challah for 30-35 minutes until golden brown!
- Remove from the oven and immediately cover with a clean dish towel for 10-15 minutes. This will trap the steam and create the softest inner layers.
- Once cooled, slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes:
- Toppings are all optional! Plain tastes great too.
- Leftovers make for the best French Toast!