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Challah
Traditional egg bread for the Jewish Sabbath. You can add sultanas to the dough just before shaping and then make the loaves into round plaits for Rosh Hashanah.
Ingredients
Serves: 30
- 600ml (1 pint) warm water (45 C)
- 1 tablespoon dried active baking yeast
- 7 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1kg (2 1/4 lb) plain flour
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
Method
Prep:3hr ›
Cook:40min ›
Ready in:3hr40min
- In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs and salt. Add the flour in small amounts, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a clean damp cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
- Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 4cm (1 1/2 in) in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and plait from middle.
- Grease two baking trays and place a finished plait on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
- Preheat oven to 190 C / Gas mark 5.
- Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each plait. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(707)
Reviews in English (556)
Used different ingredients. I have made this before, but just yesterday figured out how to make it perfect. I halved the recipe and and altered it as follows: (1) I used 2 1/2 tsp yeast [this means you have to reduce proof time by about a half], (2) used 8 tablespoons of honey instead of 4, (3) used one whole egg plus three yokes [this gives it more challah-like taste], (4) I added about a tablespoon of honey to the eggwash, and (5) I reduced baking time by about 6 or 7 minutes, making sure to cover the challah with aluminium foil after about the first 20 minutes, to prevent too much browning. This came out magnificently and I suggest these alterations to anyone who likes a slightly sweeter and eggier challah! - 14 Jul 2008
Altered ingredient amounts. I love making bread and trying new recipes. This bread was easy to make and turned out really nice, with a beautiful crunch and great flavour. I added a bit more honey than called for, for a great sweet bread. The dough was great to deal with and easy to shape. - 14 Jul 2008
REALLY GREAT!!! When i found that my usual bakery was out of the round challot for Rosh Hashana, i made this recipe simply by searching for "honey challah" in a search engine. After years of fruitless attempts at making challah that were either too yeasty or just tasteless and hard, this is a REAL WINNER, and my kids think so too!!! Thanks so much! - 14 Jul 2008