Challah Bread Recipe – the best traditional braided Jewish bread

Golden brown outside, soft and slightly sweet inside, challah bread is always a treat! And there’s nothing like baking a fresh loaf of warm challah at home.

Whether it’s a special occasion or just a regular Friday night, a warm loaf of fresh bread is always a welcome thing. The smell of fresh challah is one of my favorite smells in the world!

When I set out to create this homemade Challah Bread Recipe, I couldn’t believe that our family didn’t already have one. We’ve got generations-old recipes for almost everything else needed for Jewish holiday celebrations, but no challah! 

I poured over my Bubby’s old recipes for holiday pies, cookies and cakes and combined them with what I know about bread making to come up with this traditional recipe for braided challah. I also tapped into two other generations for their input – more on that later.

What is Challah Bread?

Challah is an eggy loaf of bread that has a slight sweetness to it. Soft and fluffy on the inside, it’s closest in flavor and texture to brioche bread. The dough is typically braided and, sometimes, formed into a ring shape after braiding.

It is just as good toasted as it is fresh, and can be enjoyed alone or incorporated into a variety of sweet and savory recipes.

Not just for holidays, challah is enjoyed year round. For many Jews, even as frequently as weekly. Challah plays a role in many Jewish traditions. Like most foods in Jewish culture, challah is symbolic.

For very religious Jews, challah represents the daily portion of bread from heaven that God provided during their escape from slavery in Egypt.

Challah has also become a bit of a cult favorite among non-Jews. It’s a popular choice for French toast, bread pudding and grilled sandwiches.

What you need to make this Homemade Challah Bread

The ingredient list for this bread is super simple:

• all-purpose flour
• vegetable oil
• eggs
• active dry yeast
• salt
• sugar

Sometimes it’s nice to add golden or even dark raisins to the dough before braiding. You could also try adding cinnamon, chocolate chips or cream cheese. I’ve also seen recipes where savory ingredients are added to the challah, like garlic and pesto sauce.

Get creative!

How to make Challah

As I mentioned, the ingredients are simple. It’s the process that needs your attention!

First, you’ll dissolve the yeast in warm water. The water should be almost hot, about 110-115F degrees. The water needs to be warm enough to activate the yeast, or your bread won’t rise. If you have a kitchen thermometer, now is the time to use it.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a meat or candy thermometer either. Just use anything that takes a temperature, and get that water nice and warm. 

The dough will all come together in one bowl, and then you’ll have to knead it. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, you may want to use it. You’ll want to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes which, for many of us, is just too long to do by hand. I actually love kneading by hand. I find it so therapeutic.

Then, let the dough rise. There will be a first rise before braiding and a second rise after braiding.

Placing the dough into a warm oven is the best option for the first rise. If you put the dough into a warm oven, it will rise much faster than if you left it on the countertop. I’ll explain this further in the recipe instructions below. 

Does challah have to be braided?

Challah does not have to be braided, but it is traditional to do so. The braiding of the bread has various symbolic meanings to Jews, and it’s also very pretty. If you choose not to braid challah dough, you can form it into rolls or buns or simply bake it in a loaf pan.

Once your dough rises, you’ll do the braiding. If you know how to braid hair, you can braid challah. If you are really good at braiding and/or especially artistic, you can get really creative with different ways to braid challah dough. Below, I’ll give you the most basic instructions for braiding challah.

How to freeze challah

I absolutely love being able to pop some frozen challah out of the freezer on weekends to make French toast or to just enjoy it with a warm pat of butter.

The best way to freeze challah is to first wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Then, place it into either an airtight container or a large freezer bag for double protection against freezer burn. Try to squeeze as much air as possible out of the ziplock bag. If you have a vaccuum sealer, this is a great time to use it.

When freezing anything, excess air is the enemy. Air means freezer burn, so it’s a good idea to protect your frozen foods from as much air as possible.

Set your frozen challah out in a warm place to bring it to room temperature. Then, slice it into individual slices and reheat them in a toaster oven or use whatever method you prefer.

I could not have created or executed this recipe without the help of my mother, virtually via FaceTime from Florida, or my daughter, who taste tested it for authenticity.

So, in the end, we had three generations collaborating on this homemade Challah Bread Recipe, which makes it a family recipe after all!

When you make this Challah Bread Recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!

For more Jewish recipes, try these:

• Mom’s Best Homemade Jewish Apple Cake
• Berry Bourbon Rugelach
• Cherry Hamantashen

For more bread recipes, try these:

• Buttery Parker House Rolls
• Best Ever Cinnamon Zucchini Bread w/ Pecans
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread