Challah Bread Recipe - House of Nash Eats (2024)

This braided Challah Bread recipe makes two of the best, most gorgeous braided loaves you will ever eat! Enjoy one loaf warm from the oven and save the other loaf for French toast a few days later!

There is nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked homemade bread, coming out of the oven piping hot. Be sure to also try ourSweet Molasses Brown Bread,Homemade French Bread, andEasy Homemade Rye Bread.

I was surprised when my DNA results came back informing me that I have a small amount of Eastern European Jewish ancestry that I previously did not know about. Even though I make no claims to the authenticity of this challah bread recipe, I love the idea of exploring ancestry through food and this challah bread reminds me of the millions of women who have braided loaves of this rich egg bread to serve in their homes. This is a recipe and tradition I hope to pass down to my girls.

Sure, you can buy loaves of challah bread at a decent bakery. But there is nothing like a fresh loaf baking in your own oven. It fills your home with the most wonderful aroma and when it comes out all glistening and golden brown, it is a thing of beauty. I've been making this challah bread recipe for years now and it still makes me giddy to pull these gorgeous loaves out of the oven. This challah bread recipe really isTHE BEST.

What is Challah Bread?

Challah is a rich, traditional Jewish breadserved on the Sabbath or to celebrate holidays. Challah (also sometimes known as "egg bread") is a made with eggs, a little sugar, and some oil, along with common bread ingredients of water, flour, yeast and salt. Because of the added eggs and fat, this challah recipe has a rich flavor and wonderful texture that makes it perfect forMonte Cristo Sandwiches, french toast, or bread pudding!

Challah bread is most often braided into long six-strand braids or round braided loaves. Then the loaves are brushed with an egg wash two times which gives wonderful color to these stunning loaves.

We like to eat one of the loaves with dinner when it's freshly made and save the other one to use for something else later. Like many bread recipes, this challah bread is best when fresh, within the first day or two, but it freezes beautifully as well. You can freeze challah bread for up to 1 month wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Just let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours before slicing.

Challah Pronunciation

Challah is most easily pronounced "haa-luh" (as in "holla back" - I can't believe I just typed that).

The "ch" can also be pronounced the same as in the German word "buch" or the Scottish word "loch". But it's not actually pronounced with a hard "ch" sound like in the English word "cherry", even though it's tempting for most of us English speakers to read it that way.

Best Challah Recipe ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

• Water: You want your water to be lukewarm-warm, not cold, and not hot.
• Yeast: Use active dry yeast for best results.
• Sugar: White Granulated Sugar will work fine.
• Oil: I use vegetable oil, but you can use olive oil or extra virgin olive oil too.
• Eggs: Lots of eggs to help the bread rise into its signature fluffiness!
• Salt: Enhances the flavors of the bread.
• Flour: All-Purpose Flour works well for challah bread, you don't need specific bread flour!
• Topping: Sesame seeds or poppy seeds. (Optional)

How to Make Challah Bread

The reason this is the best challah bread is not only that it tastes delicious, but it is easier to make than it looks. I know it might sound intimidating, but you will be surprised at how simple challah is to make.

1. Proof yeast. Proof the yeast by dissolving it in lukewarm water with a tablespoon of sugar in a large mixing bowl until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add oil and eggs. Stir in the oil and 4 of the eggs (reserve 1 egg for an egg wash after braiding), with the remaining sugar and salt.

3. Add flour. Gradually add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring it in to make a soft dough.

4. Knead dough. My standard-size KitchenAid mixer can't quite handle this much dough so I pretty much always finish kneading by hand by turning the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneading until smooth.
5. Oil the bowl. Clean out and lightly oil the bowl before returning the dough to it.
6. Cover and let rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the challah dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about an hour, until almost doubled in size.
7. Punch and rise. Punch the dough down (literally, just stick your fist right into the center of the dough and push it down), then cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise again for another half hour.

8. Divide the dough. To form the 6-strand challah braid, first, divide the dough on a clean surface. Divide it in half to make two loaves. Then divide each half into 6 equally sized portions and roll the balls of dough into 6 equally sized strands, each about 16 inches long. Place the strands side by side and pinch the tops together. See below for step-by-step pictures to guide you through this particular braid or you could do an easier 3-strand or 4-strand braid.
9. Add egg wash. Next, beat the remaining egg and brush half of it on the loaves using a pastry brush. Be sure to get in the crevices of the braid and down the sides of the loaves.
10. Rise again and add egg wash. Allow the loaves to rise another hour in a warm place, then brush again with the remainder of the egg wash.
11. Add topping. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using them (I almost always skip them, but it would make the loaf even more traditional to use them).
12. Bake. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the challah for 30-35 minutes until golden brown (or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Eat one loaf warm with butter for dinner and save the other loaf for the most delicious french toast ever!

Yes, it does take a little time - a few hours from start to finish - but hardly any longer than a simple loaf of Amish White Bread and definitely not as long as a babka (incidentally, another braided Jewish bread, though I don't make it on regular basis like I do challah).

Braiding Challah

There are many ways to braid challah bread. 3-strand braid, 4-strand braid, or 6-strand braids are all popular. So is a round braided challah loaf. I'm sharing how to do a 6-strand braid and a round braid since those are the two we use most often.

Six-Strand Challah Braid

1. First, roll out six long strands of dough, line them up side-by-side, then pinch the tops together.

2. Move the outside RIGHT strand over two strands to the left.
3. Next, move the 2nd strand from the left to the far right.

4. Now move the outside LEFT strand over two strands to the right.
5. Then move the 2nd strand from the right to the far left.

6. Repeat until finished. Repeat these steps until the braid is complete.
7. Pinch and tuck the ends. Pinch the ends together and tuck them underneath the loaf to secure them. Your braid is likely to be fairly long and skinny at this point, and that's completely normal.
8. Plump the loaf. Finally, to finish shaping the loaf, you need to plump it a bit into more of a loaf shape by sort of lifting and smooshing the braid in on itself a bit and wiggling it a bit to make the loaf a bit shorter, wider, and even, from the top to the bottom. The braid shouldn't come undone - you just want to even out the shape here and there to make your loaf look nicer. This step can be done as you are transferring the braid from the floured surface where you formed it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Place on baking sheet. Transfer the the braided loaves to a parchment-lined baking sheet pan, with at least 2 inches in between the braids so they don't meld together as they rise.

Round Braided Challah Bread

1. Divide half of the dough recipe into 4 even balls and roll them into roped. Lay two horizontally, about an inch apart, with the other two laid perpendicularly across the top.
2. Lift the top horizontal strand and place it over the right vertical strand. Lift the bottom horizontal strand and place it over the left vertical strand, as demonstrated in the pictures below.

3. Next, take the right strand of each set of two strands that are close together and cross it over the left strand.
4. Then take the bottom left strands and cross them over the neighboring strands, creating a new set of two strands, like in the images below.

5. Continue the process of crossing the right pair of the strand over the left, then the left strand over the neighboring pair until a round loaf takes shape.
6. Tuck any loose pieces under the loaf, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Now go on and give that six-strand or round braided challah a try! Get the full recipe below and I guaranteeit will be the best challah bread you have ever tried!

More Braids

This is one of my most popular, well-loved recipes and sometimes I receive images from readers who made this. I wanted to share some of the beautiful challah bread loaves they have sent using this recipe!

Best Challah Bread Recipe FAQ

Challah Bread Tips

• Let it rise. Twice. Set the dough in a warm place to rise in order to get the deliciously fluffy centers. It will need to properly double in size and this can take about 1½ - 2 hours. After braiding the bread it will need to rise for a second time, for about 30 to 45 minutes. Letting it rise twice gives it that signature fluffy texture.
• Stand mixer. You can use a stand mixer that has a large bowl, with a dough hook attachment on low speed to knead the dough if you like. My standard-size KitchenAid mixer can't quite handle this much dough so I pretty much always finish kneading by hand. Simply place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
• Parchment paper. Make sure to line your baking sheet with parchment paper, otherwise, the bread will stick to the pan. Alternatively, use a silicone mat.

How to store this Challah Bread Recipe

Like many bread recipes, this challah bread is best when fresh, within the first day or two, although it will still be good for up to about a week if you are planning to use it for French toast. Store it on the counter wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight ziplock or bread bag.

Challah bread also freezes beautifully. You can freeze challah bread for up to 1 month if it is wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or wrapped again in foil for protection from freezer burn. Just let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours before slicing it.

What to do with Challah Bread

Eat it plain or with butter, honey, or jam. This challah recipe has a rich flavor and wonderful texture, thanks to the added eggs and fat. It's almost impossible to resist slicing right into eat and eating thick slices while the bread is still warm. We love it plain, but it's mind-blowingly good with a drizzle or honey or a smear of nutella or jam.

Use it for breakfast. Challah bread makes the best French toast ever. You can use it for regular French toast or go whole-hog with a stuffed French toast recipe instead. It's also great for a breakfast casserole.

Make dessert. Challah bread makes truly fantastic bread pudding. You can even use it to make a shortcake-style dessert by serving it with macerated berries and cream on top.

It's great for grilled cheese or other sandwiches, including our favorite Monte Cristo sandwiches. Let me know how you used your challah bread in the comments below!

Substitutions and Variations

• Seeds. You can use different kinds of seeds to top the bread, like sesame seeds, poppy seeds or even sunflower seeds or everything bagel mix for something a bit different.
• Savory flavors. Give your bread a more savory flavor by adding garlic and rosemary to the dough mix.
• Sweet flavors. Add some raisins or other dried fruits to make this into more of a sweet bread.
• Shapes. Make your loaf into different shapes depending on how or when you'd like to serve it.

More Homemade Bread Recipes

• Easy Homemade Rye Bread
• Sweet Molasses Brown Bread
• Easy Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

This post was originally published in February, 2017. The photos and content were updated in December, 2022.