5 strands Braided Bread - Challah Recipe

Challah recipe is an egg-based bread that is braided. Today, we make a 5-strand braided bread with my no-fail recipe and easy to follow video instructions. You will be surprised how easy this is.

Challah is a Jewish bread made every week on Friday to celebrate Shabbat, the Jewish weekend. It is also eaten on festive occasions, except Passover. It's an enriched dough made with flour, oil, and eggs and gets a slight yellow color from the eggs. Traditional challah is made with water because Jews do not eat dairy and meat together. But if you're not keeping kosher, try milk to make this bread, it is quite delicious. I will share my recipe with you next week.

Table of Content

• Why make your own challah?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions
• The secret to baking a perfect challah bread
• Frequently asked questions
• Challah recipes
• Recipe

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Why make your own challah?

• This challah recipe is the easiest. Yes, it is the same no-fail recipe we used before.
• As you can see in the video and step-by-step pictures, the ingredients are simple pantry staples and the process for the dough is like any other bread.
• The timeline and process for making this challah bread is quite straightforward. It takes about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
  • Make the dough - 10 minutes
  • First rise - 60 minute (can be made overnight)
  • Braid the loaf - 15 minutes
  • Proof the bread - 45 minutes
  • Bake the challah - 25 minutes

Braiding the challah - So far I have shared with you a few different ways to braid challah. Today, I am making the six-strand braid. But, you can also try my 3-strands braid, 4 strand braids as well as 6 strand braid. Also try, milk and honey challah and challah sandwich bread. See all challah bread recipes here

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 works wonderfully too. So, use either bread or all-purpose flour.
• Water - As I said above, traditionally, challah is made with water, but 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 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

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Dough

• In a mixing bowl or measuring cup combine warm milk (110 F), yeast, sugar, oil, and eggs. Stir and set aside to foam for 3 mins.
  Pro-tip- instant yeast does not need to be activated but I like to ensure my yeast is good and working for me. You may choose to add all ingredients directly to the flour.
• Measure the flour and salt in a mixing bowl or stand mixer with the dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and combine well.
  Pro-tip - if you do not like kneading I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the hook attachment.

• Knead
  • By hand - transfer to a well-dusted worktop and knead for 5 to 6 minutes (video shows kneading by hand)
  • Stand mixer - once all the flour is well incorporated knead on medium for 4 to 5 minutes (Progress pictures show knead in a stand mixer)
• When the dough is soft, shiny, but still slightly sticky shape into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl seam side down. Coat the surface with oil to prevent drying. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
• Leave in a warm place. Let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until double in volume.
  Pro-tip - in winter you may need 90 minutes or more but in summer the dough may double in 45 minutes. If you can't attend to it at that moment. De-gas, reshape, and let double in volume again.

Shaping challah

• When the dough is double in volume transfer to a well-dusted floured surface. De-gas, reshape into a ball. Then roll into a small log.
  Pro-tip - at this point there is no need for additional flour. So use a light dusting of flour.
• You can make two small challah bread or one large challah bread with this dough. For two small loaves, divide the dough into 2. Today, I made one large challah.
• Then, using a bench scraper or knife divide the dough into 5 portions. They need to be approximately the same weight. I use a kitchen scale to measure the dough.
  Pro tip - if the portions are uneven the challah braid will be uneven as well. So, keep them similar in size.

• Ropes - Shape each into a ball. If necessary, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
  Pro tip - when shaping into a ball ensure all seems are tucked in and the ball is smooth. Rest these for 5 to 10 minutes if the dough resists.
• Roll each ball 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). Smaller challah can be rolled into shorter lengths.
  Pro tip - this step is optional but it will give a nice shape and firm texture to the challah

Braiding the challah

• Place all six ropes so they intersect at the top. It's easier to watch the video first then try to understand my instructions 😂 😜
• Ensure the six strands are secured at the top. From left to right you now have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, strands in front of you. It's harder when only read my instructions, so please watch the video.
  • Strand 1 over 3,
  • 2 over 3, and
  • 5 over 2.
• Continue with the process until you have reached the bottom. Tuck the seams at the top and bottom under.
• Place on a baking tray. Cover with a plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth and let proof for 30 to 45 minutes.
  Pro-tip - Spray the plastic wrap with oil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls.

Bake

• 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven at 350°F /177°C / Gas Mark 4
• Brush the bread with a beaten egg. Sprinkle some sesame seeds.
  Pro-tip- Egg wash is a full egg with 2 tbsp of water. An egg wash will give a nice golden color. If you can't use egg, milk or cream will work just as well. Do not use oil or butter as it will create a crust.

The secret to baking a perfect challah bread

There are two things that contribute to good challah bread.

1. 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.
2. 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.

Frequently asked questions

Challah recipes

see all challah recipes here

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Recipe