This Apple Challah Will Take Your Shabbat To The Next Level
Round Apple Challah
Servings
1 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
- 1/3 cup white sugar + 1 tsp.
- 2 eggs + 1 for basting
- 1 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 drop of sesame oil a “smidge”, to be technical
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 more for dusting
- 1 large granny smith apple thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. raw sugar for topping
Instructions
- Add the warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir briefly until yeast is dissolved. Wait 10 minutes until the mixture has a foamy layer on top.
- Add the eggs, 1/3 cup of sugar, salt, canola oil, and sesame oil. Mix well. You can’t clearly taste the sesame oil in the challah, but it adds a hidden delicious flavor.
- Add the flour gradually while mixing until a dough forms. When the dough is too dense to mix with a spoon, use your hands. After all the flour is mixed in, knead the dough for 10 mins. Use the 1/4 cup flour to dust the dough while kneading. It should be a bit wet and sticky. Don’t over-flour it. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Place in a warm area in your kitchen. Let rise for at least 1 hour or until double in size.
- After the dough has doubled in size, knock it down with your hands to release the air bubbles. Time for the second rise. Let rise for 1 more hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle until dough is a 1/4 inch thick. If the dough is too tough to work with, let it rest for 10 minutes then try again. The length of the rectangle should be slightly more than the width. You can trim off extra dough to make it a rectangle. Place a line of apple slices 1/3 of the way from the bottom of the rectangle (see picture below).
- There should be enough space below the apples to fold the dough over them. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of sugar and 1/3 tsp. cinnamon over the apples. Fold the dough over and repeat two more times. There may only be enough space for 2 rows of apples, and that’s okay. If there is any extra dough at the top, fold it over the rest of the roll.
- Cut the roll into 8 sections. Place each section in a greased bundt pan with the sides facing up & down (see below).
- Place an apple slice between each section. Baste with egg and sprinkle with raw sugar. Rest 45 mins then bake for 30-35 minutes on middle oven rack, or until top is golden to your liking. If you have a thermometer, the challah is ready when the inside hits 185°F/85°C.
I made the challah last night, Will the challah stay fresh for 4 until Rosh Hashananh if it isn’t frozen?
I think that is a bit too long to last, I’d freeze it.
My challah apple turned out beautiful and ready to be eaten on Rosh ha Shanah. Easy to follow recipe and also seeing the video helped also. Such a great idea in using a Bundt pan. Thank u and Shana Tovah .
Could this work with oat flour ?
I don’t think so.
You reference a picture showing how to place the slices in the bundt pan, and I’m not seeing any picture below the sliced roll. That would be a very helpful picture to see!
That image was added now. Hope it helps.
Jamie, I LOVE this recipe and have been making for a few years now. Thank you! Always at Rosh Hashanah (like tonight), and otherwise every few weeks for Shabbat or the heck of it. Our kids prefer it without apples, but regardless of whether I include them or not I have made one major modification: I add a LOT of melted butter to the three layers of apples/cinnamon/sugar, brushing on a very liberal amount before putting on the cinnamon sugar and apples. I also spread butter on almost all of the surfaces as I fold (of course, you can use margarine of you want to be pareve). The challah vanishes very quickly. Chag Sameach!
Sounds great
This was a lot of fun to make. Will make it every year! Delicious!! Reminded us of apple cinnamon buns. Especially loved the video because it made this so easy. Thank you!!
I am making this now.. I added 1/2 tsp almond extract instead of the sesame oil.. I am also soaking a few dried cranberries in a bit of water to add into the challah with the apples. How does that sound to you?? Any reason I shouldn’t. I am not Jewish but I want to celebrate Yom Teruah
Please please use weight measurements for baking. By now it’s not so foreign any more and so much more accurate. Especially for your less skilled baking fans (me.)
I would assemble and let the final rise happen in the fridge, but either would work.
Hi, I love this recipe. I am makng it for a brunch and do not have time to do the whole thing in the morning. If I were to do one of the rises over night in the fridget which would you choose? Thank you and thank you for the great recipes.
You are right, thanks, I added them back.
Thanks! I love your website.
I love the new look of your website. Really nice. However, in this recipe you had pictures of various stages of forming the loaf. Those are referenced in the text but seem to be missing.
It is best freshly made but it will be good still if frozen.
Can this be baked and frozen with good results? Thanks.
In general rice and corn are kosher but there are so many specific rules to kashrut that are different so it’s always best to ask a rabbi specific questions you may have and to learn more.
Thank you so very much. It was so very kind of you to take time out of your busy blogging schedule to answer an off-topic question. You’re very much appreciated.
I just made an amazing gluten free challah bread but I know very little about Kosher baking. Is rice and corn Kosher if the item is dairy free? I read that they are Kosher for passover, but what about Rosh Hashanah?