Flavorful Challah Bread Homemade Recipes

CHALLAH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, salt, eggs and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Divide each portion into thirds. Shape each piece into a 15-in. rope. , Place 3 ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Beat egg and cold water; brush over braids. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

THE BEST CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix yeast, water, sugar, and honey together and let sit until a frothy layer begins to form.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together three eggs and oil on low speed until combined.
• Switch to a bread hook attachment and pour in the yeast mixture, flour, and salt. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not sticky. Sprinkle in more flour, one tablespoon at a time, as needed.
• Grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and place it into the greased bowl, rolling it around to cover it in a layer of oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm environment for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled.
• Gently punch the risen dough to deflate and move to a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 3 to 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
• Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long "snake" shape, about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
• Lay the three long pieces of dough parallel to each other. Pinch the ends on one side together and begin to braid the pieces. Continue braiding until you can pinch the three ends together again, forming a single loaf.
• Grease a baking sheet with oil and place the loaf on top. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm environment for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the remaining egg and brush over the top of the loaf. Optionally, sprinkle the loaf with sesame seeds.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. The loaf should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. If it doesn't sound hollow yet, continue baking in 2 to 4 minute increments.
• Let challah cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

CHALLAH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix yeast, warm water and 1 Tbsp. honey in large bowl until blended; let stand 5 min. or until foamy.
• Separate 1 egg. Reserve egg white for later use. Add egg yolk to yeast mixture along with remaining whole eggs, oil, sour cream, 2 cups flour, salt and remaining honey; beat with mixer until blended. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until mixture forms soft dough.
• Knead dough on lightly floured surface 8 min. or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour, as needed, to keep dough from sticking. Place in oiled bowl; turn once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Let rise in warm place 60 to 75 min. or until doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough; divide into thirds. Roll each third on lightly floured surface to 15-inch rope. Place ropes next to each other on center of parchment-covered baking sheet. Starting in middle, braid ropes to each end; pinch and tuck under ends to secure. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Let rise in warm place 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
• Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix remaining water and reserved egg white until blended; brush onto dough. Sprinkle with sesame seed.
• Bake 25 to 30 min. or until deep golden brown. Remove to wire rack; cool completely.

CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Mix 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt in large bowl.
• Heat water and 1 tablespoon oil until very warm (120 to 130).
• Add water mixture to flour mixture.
• Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.
• Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.
• Beat in 1 egg until smooth.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.
• Knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Place in greased bowl and turn greased side up.
• Cover and let rise in warm place 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until double.
• Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening.
• Punch down dough and divide into 3 equal parts.
• Roll each part into a rope, 14 inches long.
• Place ropes close together on cookie sheet.
• Braid ropes gently and loosely--do not stretch.
• Fasten ends and tuck ends under braid securely.
• Brush with oil.
• Cover and let rise in warm place 40 to 50 minutes or until double.
• Heat oven to 375.
• Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water and brush over braid. Sprinkle with poppy seed.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Check bread at 15 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if it seems to be browning too quickly.
• Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and cool.

EASY CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the water, and let the mixture stand until a creamy layer forms on top, about 10 minutes. Stir in honey and salt until dissolved, and add the beaten eggs. Mix in the flour, a cupful at a time, until the dough is sticky. Sprinkle the dough with flour, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Form the dough into a compact round shape, and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over several times in the bowl to oil the surface of the dough, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough, and cut it into 3 equal-sized pieces. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look.
• Place the braided loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush the top with beaten egg yolk. (For a softer crust, brush with melted butter instead.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake the challah in the preheated oven until the top browns to a rich golden color and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it with a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

DECADENT CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve the honey in the water in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the yeast. Set the mixture aside until the yeast forms a creamy layer on top, about 15 minutes. Stir in the salt, 2/3 cup of olive oil, and beaten eggs. Add the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough is slightly tacky, but not sticky wet.
• Turn it out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface, then let rise until doubled in a warm, draft-free place, about 90 minutes.
• To make the loaves, punch down the dough, and cut it into 2 equal-sized pieces. Cut the first piece into 4 equal parts. Set the second piece aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you braid the first loaf.
• To braid the first 4-strand loaf, roll the 4 pieces of dough into thin ropes about the width of your thumb, and about 14 inches long. Make the tops and bottoms of each rope thinner than the middle area. Pinch the tops of the 4 ropes together, and fan the 4 ropes out so they don't touch.
• To make an "under-2, over-1 braid," take the left-most rope, and move it to the right to cross underneath the next 2 ropes, then move it left to cross back over the strand immediately to its left. Take the far right strand, and move it to the left and cross it under the two strands to its left (they are already crossed from the previous braid); then move it right to cross back over the strand immediately to its right. Repeat until the 4 strands are braided together all the way to the end, and pinch the ends tightly together. Repeat the steps to braid the second loaf, and let the braided loaves rise for 1 hour.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Make a glaze by whisking together the milk, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the egg white, and the sugar in a bowl. Brush the braided loaves with the glaze, to make a shiny crust, and bake the loaves on the prepared baking sheets in the preheated oven until they are light golden brown, about 30 minutes.