How to Make Challah Bread: Classic Challah Recipe

Challah is a Kosher braided yeast bread that has long been a symbolic centerpiece for Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Shabbat, and Purim. The simple dough is made with eggs, water, flour, yeast, and salt. The pale yellow color and rich flavor comes from the high amount of eggs used in the dough.

Jewish food traditions are linked to religious holidays. Every Friday evening, it's challah that heralds the Sabbath. On Shabbat, the two loaves of challah are placed on festive tables represent the double-portion of manna that fell on Friday, the heavenly bread that fed Jewish people during their 40 years in the desert. The braiding of the bread represents arms intertwined, symbolizing love, truth, peace, freedom, harmony, unity and justice.

Traditional challah recipes use eggs, white flour, water, sugar, yeast, and salt. After the first rising, the dough is rolled into rope-shaped pieces and braided into three, four, or six stranded braids. For special celebrations, such as the Jewish High Holy Days, the braided loaf can also be coiled into a circle and brushed with egg wash for a golden sheen. Challah sometimes also contains dried fruits, like raisins and cranberries.

There are a few variations on challah, like “water challah,” which is made without eggs and is similar to a French baguette. Present day Challah recipes may aim to be a bit healthier by replacing white flour with whole wheat or spelt flour and sweetening with honey or molasses.

1. 1. Classic Egg Challah: The traditional recipe with eggs, white flour, water, sugar, yeast, and salt. It is similar to brioche in that it is a slightly sweet bread enriched with both eggs and fat, except challah uses oil instead of butter, while using more eggs that result in a pale yellow appearance.
2. 2. Whole Wheat: A healthier version with a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour for a nuttier, earthier flavor.
3. 3. Seeded Challah: Seeds folded into and sprinkled over challah before baking to give a crunchy texture. Some popular toppings include: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.
4. 4. Cinnamon: Slightly sweeter than the classic egg challah with a hint of cinnamon spice.
5. 5. Chocolate: Cocoa powder and chocolate chips are folded into challah dough for a rich chocolate dessert-like bread.
6. 6. Orange: Bright and tangy with a distinct orange aroma, these challahs are made with orange juice and grated orange zest, and pair well with raisins.
7. 7. Pumpkin spice: A fall- inspired challah with a mix of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg.
8. 8. Cranberry: A splash of cranberry juice and dried cranberries give challah bread a sweet and tart flavor.
9. 9. Peanut butter: Smooth and creamy peanut butter is added to challah for a nutty flavor that goes well with chocolate chips.
10. 10. Maple: A sweet challah has the aroma and subtle flavor of maple syrup and brown sugar.