This Challah Bread is a sweet bread. Use it as a side dish or to make delicious sandwiches.
My family has a thing for bread, especially any sort of sweet bread. It gets a little out of control how much bread my children can eat in one sitting. So any time we find a delicious bread recipe, we hang onto it and make it a lot, especially in the colder months.
This Challah Bread was first introduced to me at my local grocery store. Always liking a challenge, I decided to try to take it on at home.
I ended up serving it with a lamb dish. Since getting food poisoning a few weeks ago, my ability to eat foods has really decreased. As this has never happened to me before, I am shocked at what I feel like I can’t eat. Lamb turns out to be one of those things.
The nice thing about this bread is that it is such a sweet bread that I felt like it offset the nausea I was feeling with the lamb. It’s a normal roll-type bread and is delicious!
Have you tried Challah Bread before?
How to make this sweet braided bread.
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 cup water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- white sugar crystals
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In a small bowl, combine lukewarm water and yeast. Stir in about 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Let rest until yeast is activated (bubbles and a frothy layer will appear on the top of the water).
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In a standing mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the yeast mixture, eggs, and oil. This will create a dough.
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Allow the dough to form and mix on a low speed for about 5 minutes (or work by hand for about 10 minutes). If the dough is too sticky, add flour about a tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes tacky and does not stick to the sides of the bowl. The dough is done when it is smooth and can hold the shape of a ball.
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Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl, cover with a slightly damp towel or plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 2 hours. (Placing the dough in a warm area will help it to double.)
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Once the dough has doubled, separate the dough into 2 equal strands. Hold the strands together at the top and cross each strand over the opposite strand to create a braid. Alternatively, you could create 3+ strands to create different designs. Squeeze both ends together.
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Place the braid onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or that has been lightly sprayed with oil. Gently place a towel on top of the braid and let rest and rise for about an hour. The braid should be puffed up.
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Whisk together an egg white and a tablespoon of water to create an egg white wash. Brush the top of the braid with the egg white wash.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 minutes rotating the pan halfway through. The Challah is done when the bread is a dark brown color on top or 190°F in the middle.
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Sprinkle sugar crystals on top. Let the Challah cool on a cooling rack. Pull a part or slice and serve.
- Melted butter may be used in place of oil.