Challah (Braided Egg Bread)

Name: Challah (Braided Egg Bread)
Prep time: 3 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 4 medium challahs
Ingredients: 8 -9 cups flour; 3/4-1 cup sugar (or ¾ cup honey); 1 tablespoon salt; 1 (2 ounce) package yeast; 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (, or 2 cups only if using honey); 1/2 cup oil; 5 eggs

Submitted by Mirj2338

"Challah bread is one of the most satisfying things I make. I usually knead it in my Kenwood mixer, but there's nothing like kneading by hand to help relieve stress."

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photo by Mommy2two

Ready In:: 4hrs
Ingredients:: 7
Yields:: 4 medium challahs

ingredients

8 -9 cups flour
³⁄₄ - 1 cup sugar (or ¾ cup honey)
1 tablespoon salt
1 (2 ounce) package yeast
2 ¹⁄₂ cups lukewarm water (, or 2 cups only if using honey)
¹⁄₂ cup oil
5 eggs

directions

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.

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Reviews

i made this last night and it was so good that it was gone by morning. mirjam you've done it again!! my husband was thrilled with this recipe as it comes from his homeland. TRY IT!!!!

polly salama
This bread tasted great and it was easy to make. The only thing we did different was bake it for 40 minutes at 325 degrees. We will make it again.

Barry Pultman
I am finding that I like my challah to be pretty sweet - I'd probably be inclined to make this one a touch sweeter.

StevenHB
This is one of the best recipes I have ever made, and it looks so good! My husband could hardly wait to taste it, and he gave it five stars with the first bite! It grills beautifully for sandwiches and makes delicious French Toast (soak slices about 1 minute before grilling.)

Ann in Ocala
I had lost my Challah recipe. Tried this one for Thanksgiving, it has now replaced the one I lost. I made one large braided loaf and one small loaf. I only baked it for 35 mins. It also makes a great pieced of toast the next day!

Susang

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Tweaks

I started this bread at 7pm one night, and when it came out of the oven at 1, I was relieved and eady to head to bed. I didn't get to taste it until the next morning, and it was delicious! I used .5 oz of yeast and the honey instead of sugar. I loved this bread with butter (I know, that's a no no, but I'm not Jewish, so I figure I can get away with that!) and strawberry jam. It also shined cut thick and dipped in egg and milk for french toast for dinner one night. This recipe made 2 6-strand loaves and one 3-strand loaf. I used a tutorial I found on youtube to braid the 6-strand loaves as well as a hint for adding the seeds to the top. The cook recommended that you dip your finger in the egg wash and then in a small amount of the seed you want to use and then press the seeds into the top of the loaf. It helps cut down on the amount of seed that scatters instead of sticking to the top of your bread. this does make quite a bit of bread so be prepared to share! Thanks for posting your recipe, Mirj!

Mommy2two

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Mirj2338

Givat Ze'ev, 0

Come and visit me on my blog:  <a href=http://www.miriyummy.wordpress.com>www.miriyummy.wordpress.com</a>   October 2011: It's been 10 years since I came into Zaar one day at the recommendation of someone on another website. If you ask my husband (or my coworkers), I haven't logged out since! <a href=http://www.TickerFactory.com/> <img src=http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/4;15;0/st/20011021/e/I Joined Zaar%21/dt/6/k/f656/event.png border=0 alt= /></a> So what's happened in the ten years since I became addicted to Zaar? Well, I've been happily married, happily divorced, and happily married once again. (Wanna see wedding pictures? Click <a href=http://community.webshots.com/user/mirjamdorn>here</a>.) <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=chuppah2.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/chuppah2.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> Originally from the Bronx, I've been living in Israel since 1983. I'm married to a brilliant man with the most yummy British accent (this is the part where he rolls his eyes and says, Yeah, yeah, yeah). Let's call him Sushiman, even though he hates that name. <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/52282>Chia</a> gave him that nickname when I was trying to create a dinner to show off my culinary talents. I posted here on Zaar with questions about the menu and since sushi was the main focus of the meal, he became Sushiman. That dinner was just the first of what I hope will become a lifetime of meals together. This is a picture of us taken in September 2005 in Kew Gardens in London. It my favorite picture of the two of us. <a href=http://photobucket.com/ target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/Kew.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting /></a> This comes in as a close second, taken March 2009: <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=Wedding6.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/Wedding6.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> I have 4 of the most gorgeous daughters in the known universe (tfu, tfu, tfu, that's me spitting three times to ward off the Evil Eye). Sushiman has 4 kids of his own, so together that makes us a family of ten, together with my dog and my step-dog (sadly, since I first wrote this my step-dog, Honey, crossed the Rainbow Bridge). We're the Brady Bunch on speed. Not all eight live with us, but everyone is in and out all of the time, so we're thinking about replacing our front door with one of those revolving thingies. If you need help figuring out the whole complicated mess, you can check out <a title=Miriyummy -- A Guide to the Perplexed href=http://miriyummy.wordpress.com/about/ target=_blank>Miriyummy, A Guide to the Perplexed</a>. Here are my four beauties -- from left to right: Adiya, Sara, Nomi and Tehila <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=111.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/111.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> On March 18, 2009, my oldest, Sara, got married to Ariel. The wedding was a clash of cultures and traditions, and we had a blast! <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=171.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/171.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> Over 500 people attended our little party... <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=237.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/237.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> ... and Ariel was welcomed into our family in style! <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=225.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/225.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> If you want to see the photo album from Sara and Ariel's wedding, just go <a href=http://family.webshots.com/album/571020179JBDlvf?vhost=family&vhost=family&action=refreshPhotos&albumID=571020179&security=JBDlvf>here</a>. 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