Challah bread recipe is a buttery, rich and absolutely beautiful braided loaf of bread. Today, I will teach you to make this four-braid challah with step by step pictures and a video tutorial. You will be surprised at how simple and easy it can be to make this bread at home.
Previously, I shared with you my recipe for the easiest challah bread recipe with three braids and I am so thrilled that so many of you have tired and found it easy. Today, I want to help you take your challah skills to the next level and make this four-braid challah.
About this challah
Making challah is easier than you think. As you can see in my video and step-by-step progress pictures, the ingredients are simple and the process is like any other bread, except that it's braided.
The timeline and process for making this challah is quite straight forward. It takes about 2 ½ to 3 hours in total.
- Make the dough - 10 minutes
- First rise - 60 minute (can be made overnight)
- Shape the loaf - 15 minutes
- Proof the bread - 45 minutes
- Bake the bread - 25 minutes
Braiding the challah
The real magic about challah is the braiding. This is what makes this bread different from all other bread - the braiding.
They start from one braid right up to 10 braids. Some very easy and some a little more complicated. I think braiding challah is fun. This is four-strands braided challah, but if you are new to braiding challah, then I previously shared the easiest challah, the 3-strands braided challah as well as 5 strands braided challah
The secret to baking a perfect challah bread
There are two things that contribute to good challah bread.
- The density of the dough when making this bread. Unlike our pizza or focaccia bread, where we add more water, this dough has less water. Unlike our dinner rolls, where we make a light and airy bread, this one is denser. That's because we want the dough to hold its shape. So, when you knead this dough, you want to take note of the density of the dough. It must be soft but still have a good body, not as squishy as pizza dough.
- When shaping the loaf, don't just roll it into a long rope. Take that moment to roll it out, then into a jelly roll, as I have in the video. This gives you a well-formed and shaped loaf. The final bread will hold better, as I like to call a good looking bread.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - I like using bread flour for this challah. It gives a soft chew bread with a tender crust. But, for years I have made this with all-purpose flour and it also works wonderfully. So, use either bread or all-purpose flour.
- Water - As I said above, traditionally, challah is made with water, and yet the same amount of milk works just as well.
- Instant dry yeast – I like to use instant dry because I’ve always had great success with it. If you have to use active dry yeast, you will need 2 ¼ tsp or one packet. And if you use fresh yeast, you will need about 21 grams. Also, it’s not necessary to activate the yeast, but I like to take the guesswork out and make sure my dough will rise.
- Sugar – The sugar here is not really to add sweetness. So no, the one tablespoon won’t make your homemade challah sweet. The sugar and fat in the recipe are there to feed the yeast. Just as you need warm liquid to activate the yeast you need sugar and fat to strengthen it and let it grow. If you prefer, you can substitute sugar with 2 tbsp of honey.
- Butter – I like adding butter not just to feed the yeast but also to add flavor. You can substitute the butter for 2 tbsp of oil in this recipe.
- Egg - Adds a lot of flavor to the bread, gives a tender crumb and strengthens the texture. The egg is also a leavening agent that helps the bread rise. You can omit the egg if necessary, but you will need to use less flour than the recipe states as the egg is a liquid ingredient.
Step by step instructions (Save/Pin)
For the dough
- Combine flour and salt – and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, honey, oil, and eggs – combine well with a whisk.
- Then, add the flour – combine well with a fork.
- Transfer to a well-floured work board and knead for 5 minutes until, smooth, soft and springs back. (see video)
- Make a ball and place in an oiled bowl.
- Cover and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes or until double in volume.
- Shape the loaf.
- Transfer to an un-floured work-surface.
- You can make two small challah bread or one large challah bread with this dough. So, for two small divide the dough into 2 for 2 loaves.
- Then, divide each into 4 portions. They need to be approximately the same weight.
- Form each into a ball. If necessary, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Roll each piece with a rolling pin on an un-floured work surface. (see video)
- Then roll like a jelly roll into a rope about 18 inches long (see video) – This will give us a beautiful texture for the loaf.
Braiding the challah
- Place all four ropes so they intersect at the top. It's easier to watch the video first then try to understand this in writing.
- Ensure the four strands are secured at the top. From left to right you now have 1, 2, 3, 4 strands.
- Strand 1 goes over 4 and 4 goes over 1 - simple criss-cross.
- Then, 4 comes in between 2 and 3.
- And 3 goes over 1 (in place of 4).
- Then, 1 comes down in between 2 and 4.
- And, 2 goes over 4 (in place of 1).
- Continue with the process repeating the steps until you have reached the bottom.
- Tuck the seams at the top and bottom under.
- This sounds complicated but is easier when you watch it on the video below.
- Cover and let proof for 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake
- A half-hour before baking, preheat the oven at 170 C / 340 F.
- Brush the challah with beaten egg.
- Bake each for 20 to 25 minutes until you have a nice golden brown (the internal temperature of about 195 F ).
- Remove and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Then, cover with a clean kitchen cloth to keep it soft.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
The challah will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Once cut, make sure to wrap the cut side of the bread well to prevent drying out.
Absolutely, I do it every week. I cut the bread into slices. Place it into a re-usable silicon storage bag in the freeze. When I need I just thaw slices in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds.
Yes, raisins, dried cranberries, and almonds are very common in challah and taste delicious.
Of course, I have made challah bread for years with all-purpose flour before I had the luxury of bread flour and it works equally well. Bread flour does give a softer, chewier bread with a tender crumb.
Yes, if you want you can make one large challah as well. Personally, I prefer to make two for our family.
Challah is often the best bread to make French toast or bread pudding. Personally, I love making sandwiches with leftover challah as well as toasting them as croutons for soup.
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Challah Bread Recipe - 4 strand braid
Print Pin RateDescription
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) Water warm 110F
- 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) Instant dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Oil olive or cooking
- 2 Eggs large
- 4 cups (500 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 g) All-purpose flour for kneading
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
For the dough
- Combine flour and salt – and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, honey, oil, and eggs – combine well with a whisk.
- Then, add the flour – combine well with a fork.
- Transfer to a well-floured work board and knead for 5 minutes until, smooth, soft and springs back. (see video)
- Make a ball and place in an oiled bowl.
- Cover and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes or until double in volume.
Shape the loaf.
- Transfer to an un-floured work-surface.
- You can make two small challah bread or one large challah bread with this dough. So, for two small divide the dough into 2 for 2 loaves.
- Then, divide each into 4 portions. They need to be approximately the same weight.
- Form each into a ball. If necessary, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Roll each piece with a rolling pin on an un-floured work surface. (see video)
- Then roll like a jelly roll into a rope about 18 inches long (see video) – This will give us a beautiful texture for the loaf.
Braiding the challah
- Place all four ropes so they intersect at the top. It's easier to watch the video first then try to understand this in writing.
- Ensure the four strands are secured at the top. From left to right you now have 1, 2, 3, 4 strands.
- Strand 1 goes over 4 and 4 goes over 1 - simple criss-cross.
- Then, 4 comes in between 2 and 3.
- And 3 goes over 1 (in place of 4).
- Then, 1 comes down in between 2 and 4.
- And 2 goes over 4 (in place of 1).
- Continue with the process until you have reached the bottom.
- Tuck the seams at the top and bottom under.
- This sounds complicated but is easier when you watch it on the video below.
- Cover and let proof for 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake
- A half-hour before baking, preheat the oven at 170 C / 340 F.
- Brush the challah with beaten egg.
- Bake each for 20 to 25 minutes until you have a nice golden brown (the internal temperature of about 195 F ).
- Remove and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Then, cover with a clean kitchen cloth to keep it soft.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips for making the perfect homemade challah bread
- Measure all ingredients ahead of time, so you don't forget anything at the last minute.
- For accuracy, use a weight measure for the ingredients because every cup of flour can weigh differently depending on how you fill it.
- The liquid (milk or water) must be warm (not hot) - about 110F. If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Similarly, if the liquid is too cold, it will not activate the yeast.
- Though instant dry yeast has a long shelf life, it can get ruined. Always check the expiry date on the yeast. If unsure, combine the yeast with water/milk, sugar/honey, and oil/butter from the recipe and let stand 5 minutes. If it gets foamy the yeast is good to go. If not, it's best to buy fresh yeast or check the temperature of the milk.
- Keep salt away from yeast as it can kill the yeast. I like to combine salt with the flour then add the yeast mixture.
- A soft loose well-hydrated dough is not necessarily a bad thing. Often, it will give you a soft puffy bread. So, don't be tempted to add more flour than mentioned in the recipe.
- Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic, using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
- Leave the dough at room temperature to rise until double in volume. While not recommended, when in haste, you can place it in a warm (30 C / 75 F- not hotter) oven this will expedite the rise.
- Bread does not have to be time-consuming. You can leave the dough in the fridge to rise for a few hours (even overnight) while you go about your chores. A slow rise will give more flavor to the bread.
- Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
