Challah
Challah is a braided egg bread topped with sesame seeds, made from strong white flour for a tender, golden crumb.
500g
7g
8g
50g
3piece
80ml
120ml
15g| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 500g | — | — | |
| 2 | | 7g | — | — | |
| 3 | | 8g | — | — | |
| 4 | | 50g | — | — | |
| 5 | | 3piece | — | — | |
| 6 | | 80ml | — | — | |
| 7 | | 120ml | — | — | |
| 8 | | 15g | — | — |
Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl.
Strong white bread flour · 500 g
Add the instant yeast to one side of the flour.
Instant yeast · 7 gAdd the salt to the opposite side of the bowl from the yeast.
Fine salt · 8 gAdd the caster sugar to the bowl.
Caster sugar · 50 gCrack 2 eggs into a small bowl, discarding the shells.
Egg · 2 piece
Pour the vegetable oil into the bowl with the eggs.
Vegetable oil · 80 mlAdd the water to the bowl.
Water · 120 mlWhisk the eggs, oil and water together until combined.
Pour the egg and oil mixture into the flour bowl.
Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a rough dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead firmly, pushing it away with the heel of your hand and folding it back, for 10 minutes until it is smooth, supple and springs back when pressed.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl.
Cover the bowl tightly with cling film.
Leave the dough to prove at warm room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
Punch the risen dough down firmly with your fist to knock out the gas.
Turn the dough out onto the work surface and cut it into 3 equal pieces with a bench scraper.
Cup each piece under your palm and roll it firmly back and forth on the work surface, applying light pressure at the ends, until you have a smooth strand about 40 cm long and even in thickness.
Lay the 3 strands side by side on a lined baking tray, pinch the top ends together, then braid them by alternately crossing the outer strands over the centre one, and pinch the bottom ends firmly to seal.
Drape cling film loosely over the braided loaf so it can expand without sticking.
Leave the loaf to prove at warm room temperature until noticeably puffed and pillowy, 45–60 minutes.
Preheat the oven
Crack the remaining egg into a small bowl, discarding the shell.
Egg · 1 pieceBeat the egg lightly with a fork until the yolk and white are fully combined.
Peel the cling film off the proved loaf and discard it.
Brush the egg wash all over the surface of the loaf in a thin, even coat, reaching into the crevices of the braid.
Scatter the sesame seeds evenly over the egg-washed loaf.
Sesame seeds · 15 gPlace the baking tray in the oven.
Bake until the loaf is a deep golden brown all over and sounds hollow when tapped on the base, about 30 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven using oven gloves.
Lift the challah off the tray and onto a wire rack, and leave it to cool for at least 40 minutes before slicing.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 g | | Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl.⏱ 10sResultStrong white bread flour |
| 2 | 7 g | | Add the instant yeast to one side of the flour.⏱ 5sResultStrong white bread flour and instant yeast |
| 3 | 8 g | | Add the salt to the opposite side of the bowl from the yeast.⏱ 5sResultStrong white bread flour and instant yeast and fine salt |
| 4 | 50 g | | Add the caster sugar to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultStrong white bread flour mixture |
| 5 | 2 piece | | Crack 2 eggs into a small bowl, discarding the shells.⏱ 10sResultEgg |
| 6 | 80 ml | | Pour the vegetable oil into the bowl with the eggs.⏱ 5sResultEgg and vegetable oil |
| 7 | 120 ml | | Add the water to the bowl.⏱ 5sResultEgg and vegetable oil and water |
| 8 | — | | Whisk the eggs, oil and water together until combined.⏱ 20sResultEgg and oil mixture |
| 9 | Egg and oil mixturestep 8 | | Pour the egg and oil mixture into the flour bowl.⏱ 10sResultStrong white bread flour and egg mixture |
| 10 | — | | Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a rough dough forms.⏱ 1 minResultShaggy dough |
| 11 | — | | Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead firmly, pushing it away with the heel of your hand and folding it back, for 10 minutes until it is smooth, supple and springs back when pressed.⏱ 10 minResultSmooth challah dough |
| 12 | — | | Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl.⏱ 10sResultSmooth challah dough |
| 13 | — | | Cover the bowl tightly with cling film.⏱ 10s |
| 14 | — | | Leave the dough to prove at warm room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.⏱ 1 hr 30 minResultRisen challah dough |
| 15 | — | | Punch the risen dough down firmly with your fist to knock out the gas.⏱ 15sResultPunched-down challah dough |
| 16 | — | | Turn the dough out onto the work surface and cut it into 3 equal pieces with a bench scraper.⏱ 30sResult3 equal dough portions |
| 17 | — | | Cup each piece under your palm and roll it firmly back and forth on the work surface, applying light pressure at the ends, until you have a smooth strand about 40 cm long and even in thickness.⏱ 2 minResult3 dough strands |
| 18 | 3 dough strandsstep 17 | | Lay the 3 strands side by side on a lined baking tray, pinch the top ends together, then braid them by alternately crossing the outer strands over the centre one, and pinch the bottom ends firmly to seal.⏱ 1 min 30sResultBraided challah loaf |
| 19 | — | | Drape cling film loosely over the braided loaf so it can expand without sticking.⏱ 10s |
| 20 | — | | Leave the loaf to prove at warm room temperature until noticeably puffed and pillowy, 45–60 minutes.⏱ 1 hrResultProved challah loaf |
| 21 | — | | Preheat the oven⏱ 15 min |
| 22 | 1 piece | | Crack the remaining egg into a small bowl, discarding the shell.⏱ 10sResultEgg |
| 23 | — | | Beat the egg lightly with a fork until the yolk and white are fully combined.⏱ 15sResultBeaten Eggsused in step 25 |
| 24 | — | | Peel the cling film off the proved loaf and discard it.⏱ 10s |
| 25 | Beaten Eggsstep 23 | | Brush the egg wash all over the surface of the loaf in a thin, even coat, reaching into the crevices of the braid.⏱ 20sResultEgg-washed challah loaf |
| 26 | 15 g | | Scatter the sesame seeds evenly over the egg-washed loaf.⏱ 15sResultSesame-topped challah loaf |
| 27 | — | | Place the baking tray in the oven.⏱ 10sResultSesame-topped challah loaf |
| 28 | — | | Bake until the loaf is a deep golden brown all over and sounds hollow when tapped on the base, about 30 minutes.⏱ 30 minResultBaked challah loaf |
| 29 | — | | Remove the tray from the oven using oven gloves.⏱ 10sResultBaked challah loaf |
| 30 | Baked challah loafstep 29 | | Lift the challah off the tray and onto a wire rack, and leave it to cool for at least 40 minutes before slicing.⏱ 40 minResultCooled challah loaf |
| Total Time | 4 hr 2 min | ||
A batch eaten a portion at a time — about 4 portions. Serve what is wanted now and keep the rest.
- Transfer the cooled challah to a serving board and bring it to the table whole, ready to tear or slice.
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 747kcal | |
| 24g | |
| 26g | |
| 5g | |
| 106g | |
| 13g | |
| 4g | |
| 834mg |
Challah
Challah is a braided egg bread topped with sesame seeds, made from strong white flour for a tender, golden crumb.
What you’ll doYou will mix the dough from flour, yeast, salt, sugar and an egg mixture, then knead it firmly for 10 minutes until smooth and supple. After a first rise of 1–1½ hours until doubled, you will knock back the dough, divide it into three strands, roll each to an even 40 cm length, and braid them together. The braided loaf then rises again for 45 minutes to an hour until pillowy, before you brush it with beaten egg, scatter sesame seeds over it, and bake until deep golden and hollow-sounding.
Ingredients
- Strong white bread flour500 g
- Instant yeast7 g
- Fine salt8 g
- Caster sugar50 g
- Egg3 piece
- Vegetable oil80 ml
- Water120 ml
- Sesame seeds15 g