Homemade Challah Bread Recipe (2024)

Challah Bread, a delicious and beautiful symbol of Jewish tradition, has been an integral part of Jewish cuisine for centuries. With its distinctive braided design, rich flavor, and symbolic significance, this bread is cherished by Jewish families and admired by bread bakers around the world.

The History and Tradition of Challah Bread

Challah bread is an essential part of Jewish culinary heritage, with roots dating back to biblical times. The term “challah” is derived from the Hebrew word “חלה” (hallah), which means “portion.” This refers to the portion of dough that was traditionally set aside as an offering to the Temple in Jerusalem, as commanded in the Bible (Numbers 15:17-21). Today, it is customary to separate a small piece of dough before braiding and baking the challah, symbolizing this ancient practice.

Challah bread is primarily consumed during Shabbat and Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Purim. Its braided design is believed to symbolize unity and continuity, while the circular shape often used for Rosh Hashanah represents the cyclical nature of life.

Who Eats Challah?

While challah bread is primarily associated with Jewish culture, it has gained popularity among people of all backgrounds. Its delicious taste and captivating appearance have made it a favorite in bakeries and homes across the globe. Challah has also inspired variations such as the water challah, which is made without eggs, and the challah roll, a smaller version of the traditional loaf.

The Art of Braiding Challah Bread

The braiding of challah dough is an art form in itself, with various techniques used to create intricate designs. The most common braiding techniques involve three, four, or six strands of dough. A three-strand braid is the simplest and most traditional method, while more intricate braids can be created with additional strands.

To braid a three-strand challah, follow these steps:

1. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each piece into a long, even strand.
2. Pinch the strands together at one end and begin braiding them, crossing the right strand over the center strand, followed by the left strand over the new center strand.
3. Continue braiding until you reach the end, and then pinch the strands together to secure the braid.
4. For more intricate braids, follow the same process but adjust the braiding technique to accommodate the additional strands. There are numerous online tutorials and guides available to help you master these more complex designs.

What Makes Challah Special?

I had the chance to go on a food tour of the beautiful country of Israel with Vibe Israel. This trip was incredible, we ate the most amazing food from cultures all over the world (Israel is such a melting pot!), and we even had the chance to attend a Shabbat dinner on Friday night with an Israeli family.

Sharing a Shabbat dinner with the Alon family in their home was a truly meaningful experience that I’ll remember forever. Breaking challah bread together and enjoying the meal together is why I picked this recipe to share with you.

This challah bread is incredibly delicious and it reminds me of my travels to Israel. Challah bread has a little bit of magic braided into it I think!

Ingredients

• All-Purpose flour: you can use bread flour here if you have it but I like that it’s a flour I always have on hand.
• Instant yeast: instant, quick, or active yeast all work for this recipe
• Sugar: just a bit to add sweetness and feed our yeast
• Margarine or butter: You can use stick margarine or butter for this recipe depending, they both work great. Margarine is used to make this dish part of a Kosher meal and if that’s not a need for you, butter tastes great
• Eggs: they help to add fat to the dough and make it very tender

Recipe Instructions

1. This is a pretty basic dough recipe and you’ll start by adding your ingredients without all of the flour and then mixing them well to get the gluten activated.
2. Continue to add more flour until a lightly sticky and tender dough comes together and knead the dough well.
3. Let the dough rise and then dived and braid and let rise again.
4. Add an egg wash to the bread and then bake. This bread is great warm and at room temperature.

Tips to prevent the challah bread from pulling apart and being lighter colored in the center:

1. Let the challah bread rise to fully doubled the first rise and again until fully doubled the second rise. If you put the bread in the oven while the yeast is still too active, it makes them split more.
2. Egg was the bread when it first goes in the oven AND again after the bread has baked for 10 minutes, putting the egg wash on the parts of the bread that spread a bit and didn’t get egg wash on them the first time. This helps a ton when it comes to the appearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes

• Parmesan Focaccia Bread
• Jolyn’s Extra Soft White Bread Recipe
• Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Cinnamon Babka

Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below andshare it on Instagram,Facebook, and Pinterest!

I can’t thanks Vibe Israel enough for taking me on such a delicious trip through Israel. I’m excited to share more about it in a coming post!

This recipe comes from my friends Jeff and Britt (owners of the beautiful Dark Sky RV) whom we have enjoyed learning so much about Jewish cuisine from. They’ve introduced us to this amazing challah bread recipe, latkes, halva, matzah ball soup, gefilte fish, and more. It’s so fun having friends who enjoy sharing their traditions with us.

Challah Bread is a beautiful and delicious testament to Jewish culinary tradition and whether or not you are Jewish, it’s a beautiful bread to enjoy in your home with your family. It’s a memory maker!