by Sarah Steimer
- 1 heaping teaspoon of dry, active yeast (about 1/2 of an envelope, if that’s how you buy it)
- 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons, plus 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons warm water (about 100 degrees – or do what I did and just let the hot water run for a bit)
- 1 egg, plus another for glazing
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Mix the yeast, 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of bread flour, and the warm water until smooth. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
Whisk in the egg, oil, salt and sugar until incorporated. Add the remaining flour and combine with a wooden spoon until a ball forms. Knead until smooth, about five to ten minutes.
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place to rise for about two hours, until the dough doubles in size.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Tear the dough into three equal-sized pieces and roll each piece out to pieces about 10-12 inches long. Braid the pieces — starting in the middle — and place the bread on the baking sheet, tucking the ends underneath. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise for another 1 1/2 hours.
Whisk the remaining egg and brush the dough with the egg. Bake the challah at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Recipe adapted from: What Jew Wanna Eat
I love challah bread! It actually sounds relatively easy. I’m pleasantly surprised.
It was significantly easier than I’d expected. Patience is everything — there’s a LOT of waiting time as the dough rises. But my apartment smelled immaculate while it baked. —Sarah
Gotta try this. With some Irish butter, wouldn’t that be heavenly????
Oh wow, that sounds great! —Sarah