Reader Review
I have made this twice in the last 8 days. I can't wait to make it again!!! It's simple. It's very tasty. It's Not Dry! It's.. not dry!! It tastes great!
Sylvia
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The magic of homemade challah bread
This bread has the consistency of a brioche bread due to the addition of the eggs and egg yolks making it perfectly fluffy and soft.
If making the dough ahead of time, after the first rise and after shaping, place the dough in the fridge for the second rise and bake in the morning.
This is a simple, 4-strand braid. Details about how to braid with four strands are included below and in the recipe itself. There is also a video included showing how to braid this challah.
The magic of Tangzhong Challah braided loaf bread
Unlike most Challah recipes, this one begins by making a flour paste known as a tangzhong. This is simply a mixture of flour and water that's heated, or pre-cooked, to form a paste. This technique produces softer yeast breads which is exactly what we want in a challah.
How to make the Best Challah Bread recipe
add the flour and yeast.
Proofed challah dough.
Braid the Dough: Lift the rope at 12 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 5 o’clock position.
Lift the rope at 6 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 12 o’clock position. Lift the rope at 9 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 4 o’clock position.
Lift the rope at 3 o’clock and, working toward yourself, bring over the braid and place in the 8 o’clock position. Adjust ropes so they are at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions
Repeat these steps, working toward yourself, until you there is no dough left to braid. The loaf will naturally list to one side. Pinch the ends of the rope together and tuck both ends under the braid.
How to Braid 4-Strand Challah Video (<1 Minute)
To Store Challah Bread
Bread can be stored at room temperature in a bread bag, bread box or plastic wrap for 3-4 days. Refrigerate for up to 1 week
To freeze, slice bread and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for at least an hour then place in a freezer-safe bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or defrost in the microwave at 50% power
Pro tips for making fluffy challah bread
- Most bread recipes call for you to knead your bread on a lightly floured surface. For this challah bread recipe, it is not recommended that you flour your kneading surface. This is because friction is needed to roll and braid the ropes of bread dough. Also, this is a stiff and dry dough, so adding additional flour will increase the dryness, resulting in a much drier and denser loaf of bread. Nope, we do not want that
- When rolling out the 4 strands of dough for this challah recipe, taper the ends of all the ropes. This helps you create ends that are less bulky and more proportionate to the rest of the braid. Bulky ends may also require more baking time which could result in overbaking of the rest of your loaf
- Rather than baking your challah bread on a single baking sheet, stack two baking sheets on top of one another to keep the bottom of the loaf from getting too dark or burnt
- As difficult as it may be, follow the recipe instructions to allow the challah loaf to cool completely for at least 2 hours before slicing and eating. (Good luck with that one!)
Make ahead
To make this challah dough ahead of time: after the first rise and after braiding the dough, cover lightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking
Vegan Challah
Vegan challah, also known as water challah, contains no eggs or honey. You're better off looking for a recipe that is specifically for vegan challah or water challah rather than trying to adapt this recipe. This will ensure the best results.
To substitute honey instead of sugar
The rule of thumb when swapping sugar for honey in baked goods is the following: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute ½ to ⅔ cup honey and subtract ¼ cup of the water from the recipe.
To swap the granulated sugar for honey in this easy challah recipe, use ⅛ cup (2 tablespoons) honey and reduce the water in the dough to ⅛ cup (2 tablespoons). Add the honey with the flour and yeast in step 2 of making the dough. After the 20 minute rest, add the salt and knead.
Enjoy a sourdough bread but want to serve challah? Bake some sourdough challah that is great at dinner or perfect for breakfast!
Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.
Looking for more delicious bread recipes? Give these a try:
Ingredients
Flour Paste (Tangzhong)
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoons bread flour
Challah Dough
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for egg wash, if desired)
- 2 ¾ cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg or reserved egg whites from dough
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning optional
Instructions
Make Flour Paste:
- Whisk water and flour in a small bowl until no lumps remain½ cup water, 3 tablespoons bread flour
- Microwave, whisking every 20 seconds, until mixture thickens to a stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency that forms a mound when dropped from the end of a whisk into the bowl, about 40 to 80 seconds
Make the Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour paste from Step 1, water and vegetable oil. Then add the egg and egg yolks. Whisk well until combined1 large egg , ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 large egg yolks
- Add the flour and yeast. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until all flour is moistened, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover with a clean towel and let stand for 20 minutes2 ¾ cups bread flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- After the 20 minutes, remove the towel and add the sugar and salt to the bowl. Knead on medium speed for 9 minutes. Dough should be wrapped around the dough hook without sticking to the bottom or sides of the bowl. If the dough is sticking, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, up to ¼ cup more, allowing the flour to fully incorporate before adding more¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Transfer the dough to a clean counter and lightly coat the now-empty mixing bowl with vegetable oil. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides lightly in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until about doubled in volume, about 1-1 ½ hours
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and stack on top of a second rimmed baking sheet to prevent the bottom of the bread from getting too browned or burnt. Set on your counter next to where you'll be shaping the dough
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto clean counter and press into an 8-inch square, expelling as much air as possible
- Cut the dough in half lengthwise to form 2 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise. You should have 4 equal strips of dough. Roll 1 strip of dough into a 16-inch rope. Continue rolling, tapering ends, until rope is 18 inches long. Repeat with remaining dough strips. Arrange ropes in plus-sign shape, with the ends overlapping in the center by ½ inch. Firmly press the center of the plus sign in the center to seal the ropes to each other and to the counter
Braid the Dough:
- Lift the rope at 12 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 5 o’clock position. Lift the rope at 6 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 12 o’clock position. Lift the rope at 9 o’clock, bring over the center, and place in the 4 o’clock position. Life the rope at 3 o’clock and, working toward yourself, bring over the braid and place in the 8 o’clock position. Adjust ropes so they are at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions
- Repeat these steps, working toward yourself, until you there is no dough left to braid. The loaf will naturally list to one side. Pinch the ends of the rope together and tuck both ends under the braid. Carefully transfer the braid to the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough does not spring back fully when gently pressed with your knuckle, about 1-2 hours*. Rise time will vary based on the temperature of your kitchen
Make the Egg Wash:
- 30 Minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350º F. Whisk together egg (or reserved egg whites) and salt. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning, if using1 large egg, pinch kosher salt, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning
- Bake until the loaf is a deep golden brown and registers at least 195º F, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the loaf cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Transfer baked loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours
Video
Notes
- *If you would prefer to bake the challah the next day, after shaping, cover lightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight, up to 12 hours. Remove the braided dough from the fridge when you preheat the oven to allow it to come to room temperature before baking.
- Bread can be stored at room temperature in a bread bag, bread box or plastic wrap for 3-4 days. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- To freeze, slice bread and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for at least an hour then place in a freezer-safe bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or defrost in the microwave at 50% power.
- Recipe adapted from Cook’s illustrated Magazine, May & June 2019.
Nutrition
Comments
Priscilla Gold-Darby says
The expert I spoke to at King Arthur knew the recipe and definitely advised me not to freeze unbaked dough and instead bake the challah, wrap it and freeze.. And after defrosting to heat it through at 350 for 5 minutes.
So I'm doing that today. THanks for scaling your recipes! I always make a mistake. And I see that the eggs are doubled or tripled.
Have you tried using the new Red Star superior yeast?
Kim says
That's good to know, thanks for sharing!
Marc says
I freeze braided unbaked dough all the time and it works great. It just takes a long time to defrost and then rise. Like 6- 8 hours
Priscilla Gold-Darby says
I love the contrast of the soft inside and defined crispier crust.
I'm baking a large challah for a wedding event and like to do things ahead of time. but bake the bread off fresh before the event. Have you made the dough ahead of time, froze the raw dough? I do this successfully with other yeast doughs.
Kim says
I haven't frozen this dough, bt I hope you give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Pam says
Help! The last 2 times that I made this, I did the second rise after braiding and it fell/deflated the second I did the egg wash. How do I avoid this? Did it rise for too long?
Kim says
Oh no! Ugh.... It could be that the dough is over proofed. It's difficult to tell without being there... Here's an article that may help: https://thebreadguide.com/why-does-my-bread-collapse-or-flatten/. Here's to hoping for better results next time!
Pam says
Thank you so much! It’s definitely overpriced after the braiding. I’ll cut down on the time and see how it goes. I won’t give up!!
Kim says
Good for you! Best of luck with the next batch - third time's a charm!
Mia says
Thank you for sharing this recipe - I too am a huge fan of Cooks Illustrated. (But I didn't want to pay for a subscription to see their new recipe. Lazy but true.) I've made it twice and am about to do it a 3rd time. I'm big on breadmaking and was very curious about that tangzhong method. (I have made challah before but it didn't involve TZ.) This made for a dough that was way easier to handle, so, I'm sold! Both times I substituted honey for sugar because I love that smell/taste. The first time I went a little crazy and put in a lot of honey (a very messy 1/3 of a cup - it may have been more). It was spectacular - honey taste came through loud and clear in the finished product. Unfortunately my kids were not crazy about it; they preferred a more subtle taste (sandwich bread, anyone?) so I went back to 1/4 cup of honey (which would come out to still more sugar content than if you stick with the original sugar amount of a 1/4 cup) . I still got a lovely whiff of honey when I pulled the bread out of the oven but the honey taste didn't hit you in the face.
Kim says
I LOVE the idea of using honey in this recipe! Thanks for sharing this, I'm definitely going to be trying it this way. So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for leaving a review!!
Kate says
I have questions about the yeast. I’ve read that rapid rise shouldn’t be used with anything that will have more than one rise. Any thoughts on that?
Kim says
Hi Kate! I have read that about instant yest or rapid rise yeast. To be honest, you can use them interchangeably in most recipes without an issue. You may want to cut down on the rise time with rapid rise yeast if using in a recipe that calls for active dry yeast and vice verse. I am not a trained chef or bread expert, but this is how I do it and seems to work well for me.
Michelle J. Corbett says
Hi there,
I'm a bit perplexed about the braiding. It's an 8 strand braid? I'm not even clear on the "plus sign" as I connect all braid strands at the top and then cross over. Do you recommend a video? This challah has that stretchy and elastic end product that I am looking for. Planning to make as soon as I get my hands on more bread flour.
Kim says
hi there! its actually two 4-strand braids on top of one another. I have a video in my highlights on Instagram of how to do the braiding - head over there and check it out. And feel free to do whatever braiding technique works best for you, too. If you find a video or technique you like elsewhere, use this dough to make it. Hope all goes well!
Lisa says
Hello,
I am a little confused. You mention that this is two 4-strand braids on top of one another. However, the recipe indicates that this is just one 4 strand braid. Did you shape it differently than the picture? Did you bake it differently? Do you have. a picture of what the bread would look like? Thanks!
Kim says
Hi Lisa! My apologies, I misspoke in that reply to someone's comment! My old recipe was two braids on top of one another, but this recipe is one 4-strand braid. The photos depict these recipe. My apologies for the confusion!!
Seth says
Sorry to bug you on this, but I cannot seem to find the video that you referenced above. I'm having a hard time envisioning how the braiding works based on the wording in the recipe. Can you please illustrate via video or other means? Thank you!
Kim says
Hi Seth! I don't have a video available at this time besides what I have posted in my Recipe highlights on instagram. If you have access to Cook's Illustrated online, they have a video showing the braiding - here's the link: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/videos/4376-challah?incode=MCSCD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_1. I also found it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB3cGrgY4Go. Hope this helps! I'm hoping to record a video of mine soon, too. Good luck!
Kim says
My apologies, I misspoke in this reply! It's only one 4-strand braid, not two on top of each other. The old recipe I used was two braids on top of one another, but this one is one 4-strand braid. My apologies for the confusion!
Bill says
I will be making your challah for the first time. You said that it is ok to double the recipe. I want to make four. Can I quadruple the recipe?
Also what do you mean by nesting the baking paper?
Thank you
Kim says
I would suggest doubling the recipe and making 4 single braids instead of 2 double braids out of the dough. Quadrapuling will create a massive amount of dough that will be difficult to manage. The way I double is to make two batches of dough at the same time. I don't add all ingredients to the bowl at one time, as it would be too difficult for my mixer to knead all that dough at once. I make one batch of dough then the other immediately after. If you do 4, you can make 4 batches one after another too!
tammy says
Can you subsitute regular white flour for this recipe?
Kim says
You can try using one-for-one gluten-free flour or even whole wheat flour. I haven't tested the recipe with other flours.
Kate says
You can make your own bread flour by added Vital Wheat Gluten to your AP flour.
Kim says
This is good to know, thanks for sharing Kate!
Julia Schoolenberg says
Are you sure it’s 15.125 ounces of flour? That seems like way to much for the equivalent weight measure of 2.75 cups of bread flour.
Kim says
Good question! I used Cook's Illustrated recipe and their measurements for this recipe - I will test the measurements to make sure they are correct and update accordingly. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Gonzalo says
Hi Kim!, i can´t see the weights on the ingredients, it´s that ok? Thanks for the recipie anyway!
Kim says
I actually don't have weights listed for this recipe! I will add them ASAP!
Isabelle Heller says
Hi! If I want to make two loaves, should I just double the recipe (including the yeast)? I will be using active dry vs. instant if that makes a difference! Thanks!
Kim says
You certainly can do that!
Eleni Benetatos says
I used this recipe for our Orthodox Easter Bread let me tell you it was the BEST Tsourekia I ever made and eaten... I am so happy I found your site Than you!!!!!!
Kim says
Happy Easter! So happy to hear you loved it!!
Patricia says
I don't have an electric mixer. Can I hand mix and how long would you work the dough?
Kimberlee Ho says
Yes, you can knead it by hand. I would recommend mixing the ingredients of the dough together in a large mixing bowl then at Step 3 under Mix the Dough, transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead by hand for 3-4 minutes as the instructions direct. Allow the dough to sit for 20 minutes then add the sugar and salt (this may seem messy at first, but it'll come together!) and knead by hand until the dough becomes smooth. This may take 10 minutes or longer and you'll need to stop to rest your arms every now and then. I would focus on the way the dough feels versus the length of time it should take. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the force with which you're kneading, this may take shorter or longer. You're looking for the dough to be smooth and to form a ball. I hope that helps! Good luck!
Blue says
Hello,
Can I let this rise overnight and bake off in the morning. It is a beautiful dough and currently braided and in the fridge. It has already risen quite a bit so I am a little nervous it will overproof by morning with the amount of sugar available.
Kim says
I wouldn't let it rise overnight unless you place it in the fridge. That should slow down the rising time. However, if it's already risen, it may end up over proofed, I'm afraid..
Carrie says
I would love to try this, but I only have AP flour - any idea if that will work?
Kim says
Yes definitely! The texture may turn out a bit differently but probably not very noticeable. Go for it!
Amanda says
I see you say to put the dough aside for the 1.5 hrs and then the 3 hrs. Should this be in a warm place or should I set my oven to "proof?" It's a bit chilly out and i only keep my thermostat at 62. It's not really a proof-worthy environment. Thanks!
Kim says
Ideally you want to allow the dough to rise somewhere that's a bit warmer than 62 degrees F. So yes I would recommend you put it in your oven on proof or just place in your oven with the light on and that should be sufficient. Sometimes if my kitchen is cool I set the oven to 350ºF for 1 minute, turn it off and place the dough inside. It creates just enough warmth and humidity to allow my dough to proof nicely. Good luck!
Ruthie says
I’m really excited to try this recipe. Now that we are not leaving our house to shop due to Covid-19 I’m baking more. When everyone was stockpiling towel paper, I was stockpiling flour, sugar and oil! I have a question-does the yeast not need to be mixed with water and sugar to “bloom” before adding it to the flour?
Kim says
Genius! Nope, this recipe doesn't require time for the yeast to bloom - this recipe calls for instant yeast. If you are using regular dry yeast, you can certainly allow it to bloom first then add it to the recipe. I've never made it with regular yeast, so I haven't tested this. If you do, will you let me know? Happy bread baking!
Ruthie says
I have baked the bread twice now and it is so good! I used instant yeast as that was in my pantry. Making Challah has now become a Friday tradition with my son. Thank you!
Kim says
so so happy to hear this!
Portia Carryer says
This has become my go-to challah! Thank you 🙂
Kim says
Woo hoo!! Mine too! So happy to hear that 😊
Rose says
If I wanted to make this a cinnamon and raisin challah, how much of each ingredient would you recommend? Thank you, can't wait tp try my hand at it!
Kim says
I would probably try 1 cup of raisins (you can always start with that and add more if it looks like too little) and 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon. Give it a try and let me know how it comes out! I may try this myself now.. 🙂
Bo Bourelle says
I took your Challah bread to Thanksgiving along with an Irish potato bread. Your Challah bread kicked the Irish potato bread’s right off the menu for next year. It was delicious. I just wish I had made homemade butter to serve with it.
Kimberlee Ho says
Hehe so glad to hear it was such a hit!!
Sharla says
I made this today and it was FANTASTIC! I have made Challah bread once before and it was good, but no where near this. THANK YOU for this recipe!
Kim says
Sharla, I'm so so happy you made it and loved it! I have to say, I feel the same way about this recipe. The texture and taste is unmatched with any other challah recipe I've made. It's become a staple in my house. Enjoy!
Rosa Marcelli says
hi
how to get the ingredients in grams
thanks
Kimberlee Ho says
Hi Sharla, if you refresh the page, you'll now see the Metric unit conversion available on the recipe. Happy baking!
Sylvia Jalomo says
This amazing challah has become a staple in our home.
I've made it my own over time.
Thank you so much for such an great, easy to work with dough. You've made my bread making something that I can look forward to instead of dreading.
I'm still learning to play with this beautiful dough and am working on making a version into rolls, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, and cinnamon raisin bread.
(I've been making this since at least November of 2022 and wrote a review back then)
Kimberlee Ho says
This is so great to hear!! Thanks for sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Natalie says
I love homemade challah! Yours looks so fluffy and tender! Can't wait to try this recipe!
Kim says
Yay!!!! Can’t wait for you to make it either!
Portia says
I made this for RH this year and it was a universal hit! Thank you
Kim says
This challah is so good, I'm really happy you made it and enjoyed it so much!!!
Robin says
I made this last week and it was fantastic! BUT this week when I made it I was multi tasking and focused more on the recipe…the yeast measurement I did last week was 1 1/4 TBSP this week I just used the 1 1/4 tsp as listed….fail…. You may want to correct as I think it’s just a typo.
BUT this is by far my fave challah recipe!
Kimberlee Ho says
I'm glad this is your face recipe!! It's mine, too - I make it all the time! The measurement for the yeast is correct - if you find that the amount isn't producing consistent results for you, you can certainly increase it. Check to make sure the yeast is active and fresh, too - sometimes that's a culprit..
Sylvia says
I have made this twice in the last 8 days.
I can't wait to make it again!!!
It's simple.
It's very tasty.
It's Not Dry!
It's.. not dry!!
It tastes great!
I visited a Messianic Jewish congregation and they loved it too!
I substituted light olive oil for the vegetable oil- that's just a personal preference.
Another great thing about this recipe is that as long as you don't over bake it it's going to be great.
I added the egg white too the whole egg for the egg wash. Brushed it well before rising and once again before it went into the oven... Amazing!
I baked mine on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment and put that over a double walled cookie sheet.
About 5 minutes before it was done I removed the second cookie sheet. This created a beautiful deep color on my loaves.
Kimberlee Ho says
Wow Sylvia thank you for sharing how you made this! I'm so pleased that you love it so much!! Happy baking ☺️
Sylvia says
I am making this for family and friends Thanksgiving and guys Sabbath. I can't wait to make cinnamon raisin challah, mini- challah, challah pull apart rolls, and who knows what else!
My niece is coming over in a couple of days to learn to make challah too.
Thank you for such a great recipe!
Sylvia says
Typos got me. I meant to type This Sabbath not guys Sabbath. 😬
Kimberlee Ho says
I can't wait for you to make all the challah, too!! Enjoy and happy baking ☺️