Ultimate Challah Bread Recipe
Prep Time:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cook Time:
35 minutes
Servings:
12 Servings
Ingredients
  • 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ¾ cup warm water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 large eggs, divided
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil, plus additional for greasing bowl
  • 4 ½ cups bread flour, divided
  • 2 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
Directions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir the yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar to combine. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. To the same bowl, add remaining sugar, honey, 1 egg, both yolks, oil, 4 ¼ cups bread flour, and salt. Using a hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed for 8-10 minutes until smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
  3. Transfer dough to a clean countertop and knead by hand for an additional 5-6 minutes. If too sticky to work with, dust with remaining flour a tablespoon at a time until workable. Dough should be smooth and stretchy. Form into a ball.
  4. Lightly oil a medium bowl and place dough inside. Cover and set aside to rise for 1-1 ½ hours until doubled in volume.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  6. Place the dough onto a clean countertop and divide into 6 sections. Resist dusting with flour unless necessary. Roll each section into a 14-16-inch rope that tapers on both ends.
  7. Lay the ropes side by side and pinch them all together at the top.
  8. Cross the top right and left strands once.
  9. To continue braiding, move the topmost left strand down to the center of the remaining strands. Move the second strand from the right to the top left position.
  10. Repeat, reversing the pattern: Move the topmost right strand down to the center of the remaining strands, and the second strand from the left to the top right position.
  11. Repeat, alternating the previous 2 steps until you reach the end of the braid.
  12. Pinch or roll ends of challah to seal, tucking any excess dough under the loaf.
  13. Cover and set aside to rise for 45-60 minutes until puffed in size and marshmallow-y in texture when poked. When poked, the dough should feel light and airy, and your finger should leave a slight indent behind. After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 350 F.
  14. Whisk remaining egg with a splash of water and pinch of salt. Gently brush over rested loaf, making sure to coat all areas and creases.
  15. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and quickly brush with egg wash once more, focusing on any light areas. Return to oven, rotate, and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until deep golden brown.
  16. Transfer to a rack; cool completely before slicing.