Please enter the email you’re using for this account.
Parve
Medium
3 Hours
Diets 
Thousands of women swear by this challah recipe and make it for Shabbat every week. It’s just the right amount of sweetness, a soft and doughy consistency, with a rich flavor. The dough rises well and is easy to work with, not too sticky to braid. The recipe is very versatile and you can easily adapt it to your own taste and it will still come out great. Yields 6 medium challahs For more great ideas with Esty, watch Easy Does It! Make sure to also check out our step by step guide on how to make Challah
4 tablespoons Gefen Dry Yeast or other active dry yeast
5 cups warm water
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar, divided
5 pounds Glicks High Gluten Flour, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons salt
3 eggs plus additional for egg wash
1/4 cup Gefen Honey
1 and 1/4 cup vegetable oil
your favorite toppings (I love to use everything spice)
Combine dry yeast, warm water and two tablespoons sugar in a glass bowl and set aside to proof 10 minutes.
In a very large bowl, combine almost all of the flour with remaining sugar and salt. Add the eggs, honey and oil. Mix well.
Once the yeast is proofed, add to the flour mixture and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. Transfer dough to working surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed.
Return the dough to the large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Set aside to rise for an hour and a half in a warm, draft-free spot.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Uncover the dough and “take challah” (read more on hafrashat challah here) then portion and braid your challahs. Allow to rise 10 minutes then egg wash, sprinkle toppings and bake about 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing.
Instructions on making this recipe with a Bosch follow
In the plastic bowl of your Bosch mixer, add the warm water, yeast, and two tablespoons sugar. Allow to proof, then add remaining sugar, eggs, oil and honey. Mix.
Add half of the flour and the salt and mix on speed 1 until combined. Add more flour, place the lid on top and mix on speed 2 until the sides of the bowl are clean. If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour.
Turn off the mixer and allow to rest for 3 full minutes. Turn the mixer on again to speed 2 and allow to knead for 3 full minutes.
Remove the dough to a large bowl, cover and rise. Proceed with baking directions as above.
Photography and Styling by Esty Wolbe
How Would You
Rate this recipe?
Please log in to rate
Please beware- I made this receipe in white bowl of bosch as directed and it broke it. Beaters weren’t strong enough to mix and they cracked…
My dough always comes out very wet and I keep adding flour until I add almost another whole pound of flour. What am I doing wrong?
After Pesach I saw this recipe and decided to try it. Typically make small challahs so I can manage challah leftovers, freezing and taking out only enough for each Shabbat meal. First taste wasn’t a fan. But I put the remaining loaves in the freezer. We were away for the next seven Shabbat. Didn’t think about not liking them. Brought them to my son’s and couldn’t believe they were the same challah. Not sure if freezing changed the consistency but they were great! Had some more this Shabbat and my daughter in law asked if I was going to make again for my next freezer batch and I told her I most certainly will. Thanks!
That is super interesting! I’ve never heard of challah getting better with age, but so happy to hear this recipe was a winner in your home!
I have altered challah recipes to accommodate smaller amounts if only making 2 challahs, or want to use a breadmaker. The average 5 lb bag of flour contains about 18-20 cups of flour. You can measure exactly if you want, Don’t dip the measuring cup into the flour bag directly, but scoop out the flour with a large spoon and gently fill the measuring cup each time, so the flour is not too compacted in the cup. If I want to use only 5 cups of flour, you must reduce everything by the same fraction. So if your bag holds 20 cups of flour, and you want to use only 5 cups, that’s 5/20 or .25. You must reduce the other ingredients by .25 or about one quarter. Dividing the other ingredients by 4, gives you 75ml or 5 tbsp. of both oil and sugar/honey combo, 1.25 cup of water, etc, just divide by 4. Use 2 eggs, This will now fit in the breadmaker. As the recipe says, if the dough is too wet, add small amounts of flour as needed, Open the lid of the breadmaker and check how wet it is, I often find I must add small amounts of flour, even with a breadmaker, depending on the weather.
The same recipe can be made by hand, kneading the dough till soft and pliable. This will make 2 medium challahs.
Regarding fresh yeast:you need to use twice as much fresh yeast as dry. So 1 tbsp of dry yeast is equivalent to 2 of fresh.
Thank you for sharing your incredible tips for altering challah recipes! Happy baking 🙂
Am I missing something? This “recipe” is missing a recipe!! There are directions but no listing of ingredients or quantities. Tell mr what I’m missing here!
Hi Mordy, you should be seeing the recipe- I’ll look into this for you!
Would love this recipe to serve 6-10. thanks!
really just the best challah eveeeeer!!!!!!!!!😓🫢😯😑😑🤭😫🥺😍😊😂🤣🤣😍😙☺️🥹🙂🤓🤓😒🤩🤩🥰😅😀😁🥲🙂🙂😍😍😙🥹😃😄😇🙂🥰😋🤨🤨😎😞😔
How would this recipe be made in a bread machine?
My bread machine only holds 5 cups, I haven’t seen one that can hold more but if you have one that can handle 5-lbs you could make it. I always like to start off with liquids then add sugars and then flour and year is last on top. If you’re looking for a great bread machine recipe I made this one weekly and it’s a favorite! https://www.kosher.com/recipe/the-best-bread-machine-challah-14689
Seethe added post above
i love this challah . by the way I was so excited that you teach how make challah . i never made challah right . until you really taught me how. thank you so much
How can I make this less sweet? Should I skip all the honey? Didnt try making it yet but scared it will be so sweet.
I would love a change & that’s why I am asking so many questions. I want to get it right! I let my dough rise on a plastic tablecloth on my granite counter, but I put a tablecloth under it so it will stay warmish. Is it better to rise in a bowl?
That’s fine if that works for you! You can try a bowl once and see if it makes any difference!
I use 6 lb flour bags. Please tweak the ingredients for that amount of flour for me. I use a Bosch. I NEVER used the Bosch plastic bowl! I’ve been using the metal bowl for years not knowing that plastic is better! I use fresh yeast. Is dry yeast better?
This recipe is not for 6 lb, if you specifically use 6 lb of flour, this recipe probably is not for you.
Thank You once again for this recipe and for doing a show!!!!! 6 braid looks easy here…
QUESTION:
Can I use White SPELT flour???
How much FRESH yeast should I use??
You can try this recipe with spelt flour, but it might change the texture…
what about fresh yeast????
You need to use twice the amount of fresh as dry.
2,I also put them into a cold oven, but add a pan with boiling water onto the floor of the oven. I put the oven onto 200 F for 15 min, so the challah is in a warm steamy environment so it can rise a bit more. Then I crank up the heat and bake
This is very similar to the recipe I use. There are a couple of things I do to get my challos super fluffy. 1. After braiding them I cover the challos with a disposable plastic tablecloth (so they should not dry out) and allow them to rise for a full hour
How many ounces fresh yeast to be used
2.4 oz
challa was cracking hi i made the challos, but they came out very heavy (is this normal) and also with a lot of strech marks. wondering how i can preven this?
You can read all about it here https://www.kosher.com/lifestyle/challah-tips-and-tricks-with-atnaomi-tgis-1139
Smaller amount We are only two of us, could this be cut in half or thirds?
Yes, you can 1/2 this recipe
Mixing the Dough Can you mix the dough in a mixer, or must do this one by hand?
Yes, you can definitely use a mixer!