Best 20 Challah Bread Recipes

BREAD MACHINE CHALLAH I

Steps:

• Add ingredients to the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
• Select Basic Bread and Light Crust settings. Start.

CHALLAH I (BRAIDED EGG BREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup water in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over water and mix,let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
• Add the next 6 ingredients to mixing bowl. Mix with dough hook for 6 minutes. Dough should be a little sticky.
• Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk.
• Punch down dough. Let rise again until double in bulk.
• Punch down again. Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
• Roll dough into three long strands. Braid the strands, tucking ends under. Cover with towel and let double in bulk.
• Brush with beaten egg yolk. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake at 400 F for approximately 30 minutes, until golden brown. The challah is done when it sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

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.

THE BEST BREAD MACHINE CHALLAH

Steps:

• Place the water, egg yolks, salt oil, flour, sugar and yeast in the bread machine pan, according to the manufacturer's directions.
• Process the ingredients in the dough cycle.
• Remove immediately when the machine beeps.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Divide each piece into three sections.
• Roll each section into a long strand.
• Braid the three strands, pinching the top and bottom ends together.
• Place on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough, making the second challah.
• Let the challot rise, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Brush the challot with the beaten egg.
• Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a combination of both.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack.

GARLIC AND ONION CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and give it a little stir. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the flour, kosher salt and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the oil and 4 of the eggs.
• When the yeast is foamy, add it to the dry mixture immediately followed by the egg mixture and stir to combine. Knead, either by hand on a floured surface or with a dough hook, adding more white flour as necessary (but resist any urge to add too much!), until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours. It will take slightly longer if you're using whole wheat flour. Alternatively, you can stick it in the refrigerator overnight and then let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before shaping.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a large strip, 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick and about 3 inches wide. Brush down each center with melted butter. Down the center, add the chopped onions and garlic. Roll each piece to seal in the onion mixture. Braid 3 of the pieces together, tucking the ends underneath to seal. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces to make a second loaf. Place on the lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the honey and remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush the bread top with the mixture and sprinkle with flaky salt.
• Bake until golden brown and not doughy in the center, about 35 minutes, but start checking at 28 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine warmed milk and melted butter with the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until incorporated and smooth.
• Line a large baking dish with two-thirds of the challah slices. Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips and half the raisins. Top with remaining challah slices, layering them one on top of the other, and then remaining chocolate chips and raisins, making sure the chips and raisins get inside the layers created by the challah slices.
• Pour milk mixture slowly over the top of everything and let stand until the bread has absorbed almost all of the liquid, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Wrap the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer until set in the middle and lightly browned on top.
• Remove from oven and let cool before serving. Serve with the Chocolate Ganache drizzled over top.
• Chocolate Ganache:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream to just below a simmer.
• Place the chocolate chips in a medium heat-proof bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove plastic wrap and whisk vigorously until ganache becomes a uniform smooth chocolate sauce. Serve while warm.
• Cook's Note: To make in advance, let cool, cover tightly and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Then microwave on low heat for 20 to 30 second intervals or heat over a double boiler.

BREAD MACHINE HONEY WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH

Steps:

• Add water, eggs, olive oil, honey, sugar, and flour to the bread machine bowl in that order.
• Make a well on top of the flour mound and add the yeast.
• Add salt along the side of the flour mound.
• Set your bread maker to run a "dough" cycle.
• Remove dough and braid challah (this is the fun part! See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0kf0MFRpXg for instructions.).
• (Optional) For a professional look, coat the braided challah with egg using a basting brush, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• Bake at 325 F for 30-40 minutes.

AMAZING FAST RISE CHALLAH BREAD - ONE SMALL LOAF

Steps:

• Mix warm water, oil and egg together into a stand mixer bowl. Mix, with kneading hook, until blended.
• Add salt, sugar, and yeast and flour ( small amount at a time). Mix with hook until a soft dough is formed. You may need to add a bit more warm water ( or more flour if needed). Check the dough, it should be soft and slightly sticky. It should easily form into a smooth ball. When the right consistency is reached, knead with hook for 6 minutes.
• Take dough ball out and place into oiled bowl-turn it over so that the oil in on all sides. Cover with saran wrap and let rise until doubled ( about 30 minutes or more).
• Punch down dough and divide into thirds. Roll each piece into a strand . Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place all three strands onto sheet and braid. Cover with saran wrap and let rise again until doubled ( about 30 minutes or more). In the mean time preheat oven to 375°F.
• Brush top of braid with beaten egg yolk and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

EASY NO-KNEAD CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter (or oil) with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (no airtight) food container.
• Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
• Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
• The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze in 1-pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using. Then allow the usual rest and rise time.
• On baking day, butter or grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper, or a silicone mat. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
• Divide the ball into thirds, using a dough scraper or knife. Roll the balls between your hands (or on a board), stretching, to form each into a long, thin rope. If the dough resists shaping, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Braid the ropes, starting from the center and working to one end. Turn the loaf over, rotate it, and braid from the center out to the remaining end. This produces a loaf with a more uniform thickness than when braided from end to end.
• Allow the bread to rest and rise on the prepared cookie sheet for 1 hour and 20 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).
• Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F If you're not using a stone in the oven, 5 minutes is adequate. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds.
• Bake near the center of the oven for about 25 minutes. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time. The challah is done when golden brown, and the braids near the center of the loaf offer resistance to pressure. Due to the fat in the dough, challah will not form a hard, crackling crust. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk the first 11 ingredients until blended. Gently stir in bread; let stand until bread is softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in raisins, apples and walnuts. Dot with cold butter., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until puffed, golden, and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY

Steps:

• Whisk milk and peanut butter together in a large bowl until fully incorporated. Whisk in 3/4 cup sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes, stirring once after 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, quarter strawberries and toss with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread butter in a 9x13-inch (or 3-quart) baking dish.
• Transfer 2/3 of the bread mixture to the prepared dish; spread in an even layer. Dollop 1/2 of the preserves over top in small spoonfuls. Scatter 1/2 of the sliced strawberries and juices over top. Top with remaining bread mixture and remaining strawberries and juices. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until just set, 35 to 45 minutes longer.
• Remove from the oven and immediately spread remaining preserves over top. Let rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

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.

CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Grease large bowl and large cookie sheet with shortening; set aside. In another large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast until well mixed. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1 cup water and butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and mixture is very warm (120°F to 130°F).
• Add warm liquid and 4 whole eggs to flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. With spoon, stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead in 1/2 to 1 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl; turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place about 35 to 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
• Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. Divide dough in half; roll into two 14x6-inch rectangles. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into three 14x2-inch strips. Braid strips together; tuck ends under to seal. Place crosswise on greased cookie sheet. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 15 to 25 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Bake 10 minutes. In small bowl, mix 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water until well mixed. Brush over top of loaves; sprinkle with poppy seed. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling racks. Cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and 1 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside while you measure out the other dry ingredients, or until frothy.
• Whisk 3 1/2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 egg, the vegetable oil and 1 cup warm water; stir until combined. Gradually stir in the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour until the dough starts to come together. Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball into a 1 1/2-to-2-inch-wide strand, about 16 inches long. Lay the strands side by side on a sheet of parchment paper and pinch them together at one end.
• Braid the 3 strands: Cross the right strand over the middle strand. Then cross the left strand over the middle strand. Repeat, crossing the right strand over the middle strand, then the left over the middle, until all of the dough is braided. Pinch the dough together at the end.
• Slide the loaf (with the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash all over the loaf. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

GRANDPOP JOE'S CHALLAH BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the liver; cook and stir until the liver is evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool until just warm.
• Place challah bread in a large bowl. Toss with the onion and liver mixture, squeezing lightly to distribute any liquid. Stir in the beaten eggs, and season with salt.

CHALLAH (BRAIDED EGG BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix together 2 1/2 cups flour with the sugar (honey), salt and yeast.
• There is no need to dissolve the yeast first.
• Add the water and oil.
• Mix in 4 eggs.
• Beat in another 1 1/2 cups of flour very well.
• Add 4-5 cups of flour, until a very soft dough is formed.
• Knead for about 10 minutes.
• If using the dough hook, knead for about 7 minutes.
• Let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
• Alternately, let rise in the refrigerator overnight and then let warm to room temperature for about 1 or 2 hours.
• Decide how many challahs you want, how many strands you want to braid in each.
• Make a dough ball for each strand; roll them into ropes and braid.
• Let rise covered for 1/2-1 hour.
• Beat the remaining egg and brush on the challah.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 325 F (150 C) for 30 minutes.
• Apply egg wash once more and bake for another 30 minutes at 350 F (175 C).
• This dough is enough for 4 medium sized challahs.
• You can really let your imagination run rampant here, making intricate braids, placing the braids in a loaf pan, even then winding them into a circle.
• You can add about 1/4 cup of raisins to the dough, but we leave them out.

CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING WITH LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• For the bread pudding: Whisk together the half-and-half, limoncello, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and eggs in a large bowl.
• Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and add the bread cubes to the dish. Pour the custard over the bread and let stand 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cover the dish with foil. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue to bake until puffed, set and golden on top, about 25 minutes more.
• For the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, limoncello and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour the glaze on the warm bread pudding and serve.

GLUTEN-FREE OAT CHALLAH (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients according to your bread machine's directions and run it on dough cycle. Preheat oven to 375°F.
• When it's finished, dump the dough into small greased oval pans or muffin tins. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with poppy, sunflower, and/or sesame seeds.
• Bake at 375 F degrees until done (about 20 minutes). It should be nicely browned on top.

RICH CHALLAH (BRAIDED EGG BREAD)

Steps:

• In bread machine add to bread pan in order suggested by manufacturer, select dough setting, press start.
• After beep, remove risen dough and follow directions on how to shape and bake below.
• In Kitchen-aid stand mixer or like devise mix dry ingredients in bowl and turn on low speed to incorporate.
• Add eggs one at a time, allow to mix in before adding next one, then add oil.
• Turn mixer up to next speed (2 on Kitchen-aid), add milk in a slow stream, knead until soft, smooth, and warm, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Grease a bowl and place dough in bowl turning to coat.
• Allow to rest and rise until double in size.
• ***Shaping and baking***.
• Punch down and turn out risen dough onto a lightly oiled surface, let rest 5 minutes, punching dough down gets it all excited, it needs to sit and relax.
• Shape dough into a log and cut off 1/3; set aside.
• Cut remaining dough into 3 pieces and roll into 18 inch ropes, start braid from middle and braid to one end, pinch together and tuck under, repeat with other side.
• Cut set aside dough into 3 pieces and roll out to 13-15 inches long, repeat braiding method and place smaller braid on top of larger braid.
• Grease a large 1/2 sheet baking sheet and place finished braid sideways from corner to corner.
• Allow to rise until almost double, mix glaze ingredients and brush loaf gently.
• Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes, cover loosely with foil 15-20 minutes into baking to avoid over browning.

CHALLAH SHABBAT/SHABBOS BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Into large bowl, measure 2 cups of the flour. Set aside. Into a blender jar,.
• Pour the water, yeast, and remaining cup of flour. Cover and blend at low speed. Uncover and continue blending while adding the oil, sugar, large egg, and salt. Blend until mixture is smooth.
• Pour batter over the reserved flour. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until a ball of dough forms. Place in a lightly greased bowl turning to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm draft-free place for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in bulk. Stir down.
• Shape the dough into challas, braided or unbraided. To shape into 2 small braided challas, divide the dough in half. Divide each part into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into a long coil of even thickness. Pinch together the tops of all 3 pieces. Start to braid by taking the outer right strip and crossing it over the center strip, bringing it to the center. Then take the outer left strip and cross it over the middle strip, bringing it to the center.
• Repeat the procedure by alternately bringing the right strip to the center until all are braided. Pinch the ends together. Tuck the ends in carefully. Transfer the bread to a greased loaf pan, 9 5/8 x 5 ½ x 2 ¾ inches. Repeat with remaining dough. If you choose to make one large challah, use a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan.
• For a round challah, shape the dough round with your cupped hands. Place in greased 9-inch pan (round).
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Beat the remaining egg with the tablespoon of water just to blend. Brush the top of the breads with the egg wash. Sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake for about 40 minutes, until breads are well browned and sound hollowed when tapped with knife handle or spoon. Remove to racks to cool.