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Challah

Enriched braided bread that's great for French toast, sandwiches, and snacking. Adapted from Emma Christensen's recipe.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Side Dish, Snack
Servings 1 Large Loaf

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments optional
  • 1 Tea Towel To cover your dough when it rises
  • 1 Parchment Paper
  • 1 Bowl Scraper

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1 cup Lukewarm water Around 100-110 °F
  • 2 tsp Yeast Active Dry or Instant
  • ¼ cup Sugar plus a pinch
  • 4½ cups All-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1 Egg yolk Reserve the white for the egg wash
  • ¼ cup Neutral oil Vegetable or Canola

Egg Wash

  • 1 Reserved egg white
  • 1 Tbsp Water

Instructions
 

  • Sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar over lukewarm water in a quart-sized bowl or measuring cup. Gently stir to dissolve the sugar and dissolve the yeast into the water. Set the yeast mixture aside and let bloom for a few minutes. The yeast will form a foamy "head" when it's act
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add ¼ cup of sugar, 4 cups of flour, and 2Tbsp Kosher salt. Mix to combine.
  • Add 2 eggs + 1 yolk, and ¼ cup of vegetable oil to the bloomed yeast mixture. Gently stir together with a fork.
  • Use your hand or a spoon to make a well in the center of your dry mixture. Start the mixer slowly if using one; use the paddle attachment at first. If mixing manually, use a wooden spoon to combine the wet and dry mixtures. Mix until a rough dough is formed.
  • Switch to the dough hook or turn your dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for five minutes. Stop kneading when your dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl and is no longer sticky like bubble gum.
  • Use a bowl scraper to scoop your dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rise for 30 minutes or until doubled.
  • Punch down dough. Scrape dough out onto a floured surface. Gently knead the dough into a uniform shape. Use your bowl scraper to cut the dough into three equal parts. Gently roll and stretch each piece into long snakes. Braid the strands like a traditional hair braid. Take the braid and tie it in a half knot around itself, tucking the ends underneath the loaf.
  • Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet
  • Preheat your oven to 350℉
  • Cover the round and let it rise again until it's pillowy, around 30 minutes.
  • Mix reserved egg white with 1 Tbsp of water. Brush eggwash over loaf
  • Bake the loaf for 30-45 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing, or just rip into the little knobs as soon as it's cool enough to handle.