Have you been intimidated by the pretty challah? Not any more. Today, I share with you the easiest three-braid challah bread recipe you will ever make. This recipe uses just six ingredients, which are regular pantry staples and the process is surprisingly simple and easy.
If you love bread, then today I have a new bread recipe to add to your baking skills. While this one looks intimidating, it is surprisingly simple and easy to make.
The challah bread is one that always makes an impressive centerpiece to any dinner table. Try different braids with the same dough to show off your baking skills. This bread is a Jewish staple and a must-have for every Friday dinner.
What is challah?
I bet you've seen this bread at every bakery and thought it was just a pretty designed bread. Right? Well, there is more to challah.
It is a Jewish bread made every week on Friday to celebrate Shabbat, the Jewish weekend, as well as 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.
About this challah recipe
This is the easiest challah bread recipe you will ever make. As you can see in the video and step-by-step pictures, the ingredients are simple pantry staples and the process is like any other bread.
The real magic of this bread is the braiding. They start from one braid right up to 10 braids. Some very easy and some a little complicated. This is a three-braid challah, which is similar to braiding your hair or yarn. That is why I said this is the easiest challah you will ever make.
The timeline and process for making this challah is quite straight forward. It takes about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
- 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
This is what makes this bread different from all other bread - the braiding. While a fancy 6 or 10-braid challah will be a great way to impress family and friends, a simple 3-braid is the easiest. It's as simple as braiding your hair or yarn. I have also shared with you the four-strands braided challah, 5 strands braided challah as well.
Often, during the festive season, you will find round challah, which is the long braid coiled into a circle. I will share that one with you soon and it's very pretty.
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 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 homemade dinner rolls 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)
Please note, I am not Jewish (my husband is). I do not claim this recipe to be authentic or in any way traditional to Judaism.
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 a un-floured work-surface.
- Divide the dough into 2 for 2 loaves.
- Then divide each into 3 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 a un-floured work surface.
- Then, roll like a jelly roll into a rope (see video) - This will give us a beautiful texture for the loaf.
Braiding the challah - 3 strands
- Place all three ropes in such a way that they intersect each other in the center.
- Then braid one half from the center down - flip over and braid the second half as shown in the video.
- This braid is similar to braiding your hair - starting from the middle in towards the ends makes it easier, prettier and less complicated.
- 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.
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Challah Bread Recipe - 3 Braids
Print Pin Rate VeenaazmanovDescription
Ingredients
Makes 2 laofs
- 1 cup (240 ml) Water warm 110F
- 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) Instant dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Oil cooking or olive
- 2 Eggs large
- 4 cup (500 g) Bread flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 g) Bread flour or all-purpose flour for kneading
- 2 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 a un-floured work-surface.
- Divide the dough into 2 for 2 loaves.
- Then, divide each into 3 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 a un-floured work surface.
- Then roll like a jelly roll into a rope (see video) – This will give us a beautiful texture for the loaf.
Braiding the challah - 3 strands
- Place all three ropes in such a way that they intersect each other in the center.
- Then, braid one half from the center down – flip over and braid the second half as shown in the video.
- This braid is similar to braiding your hair - starting from the middle in towards the ends makes it easier, prettier and less complicated.
- 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
Michelle
Day 5 done
Karen S.
Day 5 Done.
Lolita Belandres
Day 5 Done.
Toni
Do you have a good gluten free challah recipe?
Veena Azmanov
No Toni, Sorry, don't have gluten-free challah yet
Haze
Day 5 done
Nazmiya Nizar
Day 5 done
Joan
Done with Day 5, just got internet connection
Marilyn L
Day 5 done
Hazel
Day 5 done
Amber
What does let it proof mean?
Veena Azmanov
Amber - let it rise in a warm place - for bread we usually use the word proof
Joan
Done day 2
Thank you...
Epcibha
Day 5 done Veena by mistake I mention day 4
Epcibha
Day 4 done Veena
Shikha Ajit
Day 5 done
Thiviya
Day 5 Done.
I did Easiest Challah Bread on Day 3 itself :), hope thats okay ...
Veena Azmanov
I hope it was good
Adenike Adenle
Day 5 done