Here is my now-famous traditional challah recipe, scroll down for the full recipe, but first let me answer a few questions I am frequently asked.
What is challah?
Challah is the Jewish egg bread served every week on Shabbat and is usually braided. You don’t have to top it, but I love it with everything bagel topping and I have a heavy hand. I make this recipe every week and I get so much satisfaction out of the kneading and braiding it is the one dish I don’t mind spending time on. And don’t forget to get the kids involved. Not only are they in my prayers, but they each get their own little mound of dough to shape and decorate as they like. I like everything spice, they like sprinkles, we are all happy. Enjoy this challah bread recipe this Shabbat and for many years to come.
What makes challah bread different?
Challah baking is part magic, part science and 100% spiritual. It’s not simply an egg bread that is made dairy-free with oil instead of butter. Challah touches the soul. Challah is one of those foods that is a spiritual key, placing it front and center at the start of all our Shabbos and holiday meals. We eat challah every Shabbos as an allusion to the manna that G-d showered on the Israelites in the desert after they left Egypt. The manna would fall every day, but it was just enough for one day. The Israelites had to learn to trust in G-d for their daily sustenance and not worry about tomorrow. That’s a pretty good lesson in itself. But the kicker is that every Friday a double amount would fall, so there would be enough to eat on Shabbos morning. We put two challahs on the Shabbos table, as a reminder of the Friday double portion of manna. Every week, we enjoy our challah. At the same time, we deepen our faith in G-d, who loves us so much that He provides us with everything we need day after day, from paying the mortgage down to my daughters’ Hello Kitty alarm clock. We reaffirm our allegiance to Shabbos, a day so special that we don’t cook or bake; we just eat delicacies we prepared on Friday.
Bread is for the body, but challah, challah touches the soul.
Can you eat challah bread anytime?
While challah is on the table for every Shabbat and holiday meal, it can be eaten any other time as well.
Why is challah bread so special?
There’s a reason challah pays spiritual dividends, but to understand it we have to visit ancient Israel for a minute. (Don’t worry. I’ll bring you back.) Back in the days of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, people called Kohanim (a huge extended family, really) did not own farmland because their sole task was to serve in the Temple and teach the holy Torah to every Jew. The mitzvah (law) of giving them tithes and food gifts was mandated so they could devote themselves exclusively to this calling.
One of those gifts was called “challah,” which meant that whenever someone baked bread, he or she was to give a small portion of it to a friendly local Kohein. And the baker did not just drop a package on the doorstep and run. He would learn some Torah with the Kohein, maybe have a cup of tea and schmooze a while. This exchange not only fed the Kohanim and their families; it fortified the bond between average Israelites and their spiritual mentors.
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It was a great system.
Today there’s no Holy Temple, but we still keep the mitzvah, called hafrashat challah, to elevate that simple act of baking bread to a spiritual activity.
How do you make challah bread?
Watch me make this challah dough in the video above and then learn to shape so many different ways with our Challah Shaping and Braiding Videos.
If you want to try the easiest challah ever, check out my No Knead Challah recipe here.
Looking for a healthier, 100% whole grain challah with all natural sweeteners? Get our Spelt Challah Recipe.
A few more things to consider before we get to the actual recipe.
The Flour: I always use flour that is high in gluten because gluten adds stickiness and sponginess to the dough. High-gluten flour will give you a nice chewy texture. Bread flour or bread machine flour are interchangeable with high-gluten flour. All-purpose flour can be subbed if necessary. This recipe calls for a 6-pound bag of high-gluten (bread) flour. But fear not if you can’t find a 6-pound bag: 3¼ cups of high-gluten flour equals 1 pound, and 3¾cups of all-purpose flour is equivalent to 1 pound.
You can find oval baking pans on Amazon to help keep the classic braided challah shape.
.
Jamie Geller’s Challah Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 ounces ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (57 grams) + 3 tablespoons sugar (40 grams)
- 6 cups warm water divided (1,440 grams)
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt 72 grams
- 1 6-pound bag high-gluten flour (2.7 kg)
- 2 cups sugar 400 grams
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 ¼ cup canola oil divided (260 grams)
- 2 whole eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup sesame seeds
- ½ cup poppy seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and 3 tablespoons of sugar in 2 cups of warm water, cover loosely with a towel and set aside.
- Place salt in a huge plastic bowl.
- Add flour to bowl.
- Add sugar and egg yolks.
- Yeast should now have bubbled/foamed and doubled in size, if yeast has not bubbled or does not seem active repeat the process again.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour yeast and sugar water mixture into the well. Then add the remaining 4 cups of warm water into the well. Make sure the water is not too hot. It should be no warmer than you would use for a baby’s bath.
- Start kneading ingredients together and add a ½ cup of oil.
- For the next 10 minutes, knead, adding another ½ cup of oil slowly during that time as needed to create a workable dough. Dough shouldn’t be too sticky and also should not be dry. It should become one cohesive mass.
- Loosely cover dough with a large kitchen towel and place in a warm spot in your kitchen for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, lightly oil your hand and knead again for another 5 minutes adding a touch more oil to the dough if necessary. The dough should now be easier to work with and will become smooth and satiny.
- Rub a little oil over the top and around the dough. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel. Place covered bowl in a medium plastic garbage bag and place open ends of the bag loosely underneath the bowl, trapping in air.
- Place in a warm spot and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch dough down and knead (lightly oil your hands if necessary), flipping it and releasing any air bubbles. Cover again, using the towel and the bag, and let rise 1 more hour.
- Lightly oil your hands, and punch down again. With a sharp knife divide dough into 4 equal parts.
- Liberally spray 4 (9-inch) round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
For Round Challah
- With lightly oiled hands, place 1 piece of dough on a smooth work surface. Play with the dough a bit, squeezing out any air bubbles. Then roll the dough into a long, thick rope, adding oil as needed to keep it from being too sticky. Don’t use too much oil; a little sticky is fine.
- Place one end of the rope up against the edge of the prepared pan and coil it, ending in the middle. Set aside.
For Pull-Apart Challah
- With lightly oiled hands, place 1 piece of dough on a smooth work surface. Play with the dough a bit, squeezing out any air bubbles. Separate into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a round ball, adding oil as needed to keep it from being too sticky. Don’t use too much oil; a little sticky is fine.
- Place one ball in the middle of the prepared pan and surround with remaining balls. Don’t worry if they don’t touch. They will rise into each other while baking. Set aside.
- Repeat either method with remaining dough so that you have 4 challahs.
- Brush challahs with beaten egg and sprinkle with a combination of poppy and sesame seeds.
- Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes and then lower your oven temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, until challah tops are dark golden brown.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve while still warm. Once the challah has been sliced, you can store the slices in sealable plastic bags for about 4 to 5 days.
- Recipe Courtesy of JOY of KOSHER Fast, Fresh Family Recipes by Jamie Geller (William Morrow/HarperCollins 2013) – BUY NOW
Notes:
- Make half the recipe as follows:
- ¾ ounce (21 g) active dry yeast
- 8 ounces (227 g) (or up to 10 ounces for sweeter challah) plus ½ ounce granulated sugar, divided
- 3 cups (708 g) warm water (90° to 100°F), divided
- 1-ounce (28 g) kosher salt
- 3 pounds (1,360 g)high-gluten (bread) or all-purpose four
- 2 large eggs, separated
- ½ cup (120 g) olive oil, more as needed for kneading and shaping
Substitutions
- Flour
- Spelt Flour: Step 2: Add 2 ¼ cups of water.
- 100% Whole Wheat Flour: Step 2: Add 2 ½ cups of water.
- Egg-Free
- Simply eliminate the egg yolks from the recipe and brush or spray the challah with water in place of egg wash for egg free challah. No other adjustments required.
- Sweeteners
- Less Sugar: Decrease the sugar to 4 ounces with no other adjustments required.
- Brown Sugar: Substitute brown sugar, for the granulated sugar in equal parts with no other adjustments required.
- Honey/Syrup: Substitute silan/date honey, bee’s honey or maple syrup in part or in place of sugar. Reduce water by the amount of “liquid” (moisture rich) sweetener you are using. For example, if using ½ cup honey decrease water by ½ cup.
- Yeast
- ¾ oz dry yeast = 2 oz fresh yeast
hi, i made ur challah today and was wondering if you could tell me why the challah flattens while baking? you cant really see the shape of the braids…
otherwise it tastes delicious!
a big fan of u all the way from antwerp, belgium
Hi Jamie.
Thank you for this website and your expertise. You make everything look so simple!
My husband just bought me a mixer, which I feel I should use. Can you give directions for its use with this recipe? ALSO, as the mixer handles only a kilo and a half of flour (3.3 pounds), I have to adjust the measurements. Can you help me out with this?
Thanks very much. I hope you are loving Israel as much as we are. (We made Aliya three years ago.)
Chana Rochel
Is it true Jewish to put poppy seeds on it?My husband thinks it is a American add on to challah.
I was referred to your site for this challah recipe which I am so excited to see-I was checking out the comments as I do to see if there are any recommendations or questions I might have. Ran across a mention of a recipe you have called the “Irish Car Bomb.” I live in Ireland and I would suggest out of consideration for those families who have lost people to actual car bombings in Ireland that you change the name of the recipe.
I haven’t found a good solution, either. The consistency/taste is just not the same. For a challah look, you can make a GF bread recipe in this challah-shaped silicon baking pan: http://www.thekoshercook.com/product_p/kcbw-0160.htm. Or if using a regular loaf pan, use an ice cream scoop to place mounds of dough next to each other in the pan. If you are lucky, it might give an appearance of a bumpy top.
Ms. Gluten-Free Nosh is our expert so I thank her for commenting – and Misty – happy you like the pull-apart idea – it definitely makes life easier.
Thanks Pat!
I am unsure what size your packets are so just measure out 4 TBS of yeast. As for kneading 10 minutes or so. Then let the dough rest, loosely covered with a kitchen towel for 15 minutes so the glutens relax and then knead for another 5.
Hey Stefanie — help is here :-)!!! High Gluten and Bread Flour are interchangeable so use it and enJOY! Please come back and comment on the recipe once you’ve made it – we’d love to hear your feedback.
Hi Jamie. I finally had the chance to make your Challah. It Came out ok. I took a picture of it but I am not sure how to attach it. Anyway. I used bread flour and made the full 6 lbs. You were right in the video. The first kneading was tough. I had to switch hands a couple of times. It was much softer after 15 minutes. I think I need a bigger plastic bowl. My mom has a big one but not big enough. The dough was nearly overflowing as it was rising. I ended up making 2 6-braid and 3 pull-apart Challahs. I did not use your method of braiding, however. I used your friend Hadassah’s method of “over 2, over 1.” Since this was my first time making Challah I didn’t want to confust myself and I went for the easiest way to braid the bread. The first loaf I did came out very large. The second loaf I did was smaller but still a decent size. The picture I have of the challah is of the second loaf. I was too embrassed by the first one. It was very, very large. It had a crispy crust with a soft chewy inside. I gave the larger loaf to my brother and sister-in-law as they have four kids. I kept the smaller loaf for me and my parents. I will bring the pull-apart challahs to church on Sunday. We have a fellowship, after the service, with coffee, fruit and baked goods. I figured everyone would enjoy them. I told my mom the different things you made with the challah dough. The cinnamon buns was the one that excited her the most. My parents, brother and sister-in-law really liked it when they had a small piece. At least it tasted good. I would definitley make it again.
GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!
Hi Jamie. I have looked all over the website and love it. I even commented on your Matzo Ball recipe. Anyway I want to make your challah but I can’t find the right flour. There is a market 15 minutes away that is known for selling Kosher food. However, there Kosher section is suprisingly small. I couldn’t find the high-gluten flour you use. I can order it from King Arhur flour but the high-gluten flour only comes in 3 lb bags. Unfortunately they are not cheap. Also, I found the link for the flour you used in the video. It would cost more to have it shipped to Rhode Island then what it is sold for. My question is this. Can I substitute bread flour for the high-gluten flour? Or, would it be worth it to spend a few extra dollars to have the high-gluten flour shipped to me? HELP!!
The Bosch mixer handles this recipe with ease!
Hey Jack L – which Bosch? all 6 pounds? I am in the market for a new machine the motor in my Kitchen Aid is going… 🙁
OK I can only guess here, but: Is your 6-braid much higher/taller than your 3-braid, and perhaps closer to the heat source? Try moving your oven rack down a level or two and see if that helps. Let me know!
Bread flour is the SAME as high-gluten flour so you are all set. As an fyi I use all-purpose flour now in Israel because we don’t have high gluten flour here. Gluten gives the challah a lighter more sponge-y and chewy texture. But I have found that with the all-purpose flour when I use my stand mixer to knead the dough (instead of by hand) the challah turns out delicious.
Hi Jamie – hope all is well. Still absolutely loving the challah. People beg me to make it for Shabbat all the time! I also pass the recipe along to other people, especially when they’re frustrated with their recipe. I wanted to give it to someone who lives in Israel, but a lot of people say that a recipe used in the States just doesn’t come out the same there. Aside from using bread flour and the stand mixer, have you had to make any other adjustments to the recipe? Thanks so much!
hey Susie!!! YAYEEEE! So happy you are spreading the challah love. OK yes in addition to the stand mixer I use more yeast (like 1 1/2 – 2 times as much) AND more oil (again 1 1/2 – 2 times as much) to make the dough lighter and softer. I have recently switched to 70% whole wheat flour and it even still works beautifully Thank G-d :-)!!! Great luck to your friend in Israel.
Hey Hadas I seek for you on different places, but finally found
Hi Jamie, whenever I am baking my six braid Challa at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes it burns badly on the top, but when I bake my three braid Challa it comes out perfectly. What am I doing wrong?
I substitute honey for sugar in this recipe all the time, turns out lovely.
equal parts? thank you SO much for letting us all know!!!
Can I use bread flour or all-purpose flour for the high gluten flour in your challah recipe? I can’t find the high gluten flour in my area. If so, how will it/how do I change up the recipe? Thanks so much.
Deana
Hi…thanks, I will try it. couple of questions though:
1-she wrote to make a “well” and to put the yeast mixture in the center. What does that do for the challah making process? I just want to understand what the reason is for making the well.
2- Also- if I use a Bosch machine, how do I make that well? because the dough hook is in the center?
3- she mentions to knead it for 10 minutes, and then after it rises, to punch down and knead again for another 10 minutes. I am using the bosch machine to knead. does this apply then? because then I would be kneading a total of 20 minutes with the bosch machine.
Thanks so much!
Hey Devorie… Ok so when I make Challah in the bread machine with a dough hook I ignore the well AND find that the kneading time is cut down at least 50% if not more (it’s a machine :-)- so as soon as you see a nice dough form your are good to go — should come together in about 5 minutes, maybe a little longer.
Try JoK friend Hadassah’s recipe: http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/challah-3/
Hi Chevy – great eyes — I buy pre-sifted flour – BIG (HUGE!) time saver – and delivers peace of mind.
Hi…Do you a recipe for a 5lb bag of flour?
hi Jamie, on the video you don’t sift the flower, I know that for the challah to be kosher the first thing you have to do is sift the flower. please clarify. thank you I enjoyed the video.
wooohoooo!!!
Came out perfect!
Hi Haidee – so my sister-in-law always uses whole wheat flour in place of white and it comes out great – just a little heavier/more dense. I have not tried honey in place of sugar but I have a friend who uses a mixture of honey and maple syrup in her whole wheat challah and it’s fantastic. Honey is ever so slightly sweeter than sugar so in small amounts (if you are simply substituting a tablespoon or two or even 3 🙂 you can use a 1:1 ratio but for larger amounts use slightly less than 1:1. So 1 cup sugar is equal to about 3/4 cup honey. So if you are making the full recipe above you can substitute the 2 cups of sugar for about 1 1/2 cups of honey. At step one, to proof the yeast, replace the 3 TBS sugar for 3 TBS honey. At step 4 add 1 1/2 cups honey in place of the sugar. Good luck and let us know how it comes out.
yes you can. I recommend re warming it (wrapped in) at 250/300 degrees F until soft – serve warm.
Re-posting my questions because I didn’t found any answers. Can I exchange the sugar for honey (what amount?) at the yeast mix?
Is there a change if I use whole wheat flour?
My family and I loved the recipe it’s different from another we tried first , even defrost it’s GREAT , thanks for the recipe .
Love your videos and recipes. Question. Can you bake and then freeze Challah? Thank you.
all in kosher website is no more available , so you can found the Dependable High Gluten Flour 6 LB. Bag Availabe at RocklandKosher,com http://www.rocklandkosher.com/p-2897-flour-high-gluten.aspx
usually the packets are a 1/4 ounce each so that would mean 8 packets or 4 tbs.
Thank you!
was so nice meeting you in person at Kfest!
YAY YAY YAY!!! So happy and sounds soooo delish! Want it sweeter? It’s Simple, just add more sugar – I originally called for 2 1/2 cups sugar you can even push it to 3 if you really want it sweet. But of course play with it to your liking. To freeze proceed all the way through step 14. At which point you can divide the dough and freeze it in portions or as one mass. Punch it down to release all the air bubble and form into a nice round mass. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. To defrost: remove the plastic wrap and place it in a large lightly greased bowl (oil or cooking spray). Cover it with a kitchen towel so it doesn’t form a skin and place in a warm spot (cozy corner) in your kitchen. Once it’s room temperature you are ready to roll — literally! I freeze the raw dough ALL the time and it comes out great! Best of luck and thank you for commenting and shana tova :-)!
Jamie –
I always followed a friend’s recipe for challah. Flavor was great, texture was less than ideal. For Rosh Hashanah this year, I decided to use a different recipe and I used yours. AMAZING. The texture was PERFECT. I added a mixture of reconstituted raisins with apples, sugar and cinnamon to them – it was delicious. I’m not a baker by nature, so I have two quick questions. If I want to make the dough sweeter, can I simply add more sugar or do I need to make other adjustments? And, if I want to freeze the dough, before I shape the loaves, what point in the process is the best to do it? Thank you so much and shana tova!
How many packets is equivalent to 2 ounces of yeast???
Thanks for the feedback! I am laughing bc I originally called for 2 1/2 cups sugar but thought it was too sweet for most people so I pulled it back. So just add more sugar 🙂
Liked the dough texture as was easy to braid and shape but would have liked it a bit sweeter.
yuparooo! halves perfectly — my stand mixer can only handle half the recipe at a time so that’s how I do it!
If I half this recipe, do I take challah and make a Bracha? And how many cups of flour is half of 6 lbs? I really want to make Bracha but want to use stand mixer.
Thanks 🙂
Oh Michal!!!! Thank you SO much! YAY I love doing the videos too – it’s my favorite part about what I do – so happy you are enJOYing them! OK so yes this recipe is tried and true and tested in Israel. Since I have yet to find High-Gluten flour here I use regular but I make the dough in my stand mixer. The dough is much lighter this way and it makes up for the fact that I don’t use the high-gluten flour. Please note it will be a sticky dough – use additional oil (or cooking spray on your hands) to make working with it easier.
Sorry- forgot to ask… can i halve this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Jamie! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes! My favorites are the videos! You make everything look too easy 🙂 I just wanted to know if this exact recipe works in israel. I’m new to the cooking scene, and i’ve flopped too many “american” challa recipes and i’m wary about trying yet another. As I know you live here, can you tell me if this works?
I like your recipes.Thank you
sure you can — just watch the amounts most bread machines don’t have the capacity to handle all 6 pounds at once.
Ok, I know you’re going to think I’m crazy but I’m wondering if I could do a gluten free challah like this??!! Every gluten free challah I’ve tried to make so far has definitely left something to be desired, but my son is intolerant and we need challah in our house! Any suggestions? I love the pull apart idea!
Can this be made in a bread machine?
yes you can (although you should get some 🙂 Its most accurate to substitute salt by weight so you will need 45g (or about 1.5 ounces) table salt for this recipe. Egg AFTER thawing and rising just before baking. Should last for at least 1 month in the freezer unbaked. Great Luck!
Its something I buy — it’s called everything mix and should be next to the sesame and poppy seeds on the supermarket shelves. I do however have a homemade recipe for it in my new Joy of Kosher cookbook coming out this fall — so be on the lookout 🙂
i have no more.kosher salt! can i use table.salt? also, if i were to freeze the challah before baking but after i shape it – do i egg it? how long can it last in the freezer unbaked for?
I just saw your video on youtube, regarding how to make this challah bread. I am going to try it, it looks so yummy. However, that amazing seed mix that you had on the video… is that something you mix yourself or do you buy it? I want to try it, you make it sound oooh so good! 🙂
Hi Jamie,
Can you tell me if fresh and dried yeast are interchangeable, and how the amount of dried yeast in a recipe converts to fresh? I find it much easier to find kosher fresh yeast than the dried variety where I live (in fact, haven’t found the kosher dried yeast yet.)
YAY- I am so happy and thank you for testing and sharing the results of the halved recipe!!!
Hi Jamie,
I tried this recipe this friday to make my shlisel challah and it came out AMAZING! I have tried many recipes before in the past 14 years but my challah always came out dry or it would get dry by the next day. Your recipe finally helped me figure out how to fix that problem. Yes, high gluten flour really did the trick!! I am so excited! My challah was never as moist and resilient as it came out this time. Thank you!
Btw, to answer Jon’s question. I did cut the recipe in half. I also put 1 T of salt instead of 2 T and it still came out wonderful. Fail proof recipe!! 🙂