I can’t help myself… I can’t help myself…
HOLLA!!! I just made my first Challah Bread. **does cabbage patch dance of victory**
And it was amazingly, surprisingly easy. Hence the title of this post.
Why is Honey Challah Bread the book-inspired recipe for Dear Eliza?
In Dear Eliza, a co-worker brings Eliza some homemade bread after her dad passes away. I’m not sure why, exactly, but the bread ends up being one of the few things the grieving Eliza has an appetite for.
Even though the kindly co-worker brought over a sourdough loaf, making sourdough from scratch seems incredibly complicated. I’ve watched several people start and then stop making sourdough starter.
So, I decided to make Honey Challah Bread as Dear Eliza‘s book-inspired recipe. Challah is a nod to Eliza’s Jewish heritage, the customs of which permeate the book and so many of Eliza’s family interactions.
It’s honey challah bread because honey is another important ingredient in the Jewish faith, signifying grace and sweetness, both of which Eliza could use.
Also? I just like honey as an ingredient in bread. 🙂
The easiest, best Challah Bread dough to work with.
Challah Bread is one of my favorite carbs. It’s right up there with brioche and babka, which are very similar to challah. They’re all “enriched doughs,” which means the recipe uses yeast and eggs to create a more decadent bread dough.
We all know I’m relatively new to bread baking, and making a braided yeasted bread seemed like quite the step up from the Fig and Pepper Bread I made a few years ago. I went into this blog post with a teeny-weensy bit of trepidation.
Um, I needn’t have worried. Making this Challah Bread was, by far, the easiest bread-making experience I’ve had to date.
First of all, the bread dough comes together entirely in the stand-mixer. There was no kneading by hand required! Which is my ultimate bread goal.
After the First Prove, the dough had reliably doubled in size and was poofy. It was easy to transfer it from the greased bowl to my lightly floured work surface.
Cutting, shaping, and braiding the dough was also super easy. The dough didn’t stick to the work surface and was easy to move around, unlike some other yeasted doughs I’ve made. Cutting the dough into three pieces and rolling them into long strands wasn’t a problem.
Braiding Challah Bread is Easy
Braiding the Challah Bread was probably the most difficult part — but only because, well, I don’t know how to braid. **hides face in shame**
I had short hair growing up and no sisters, so I never braided my own hair. Or anyone else’s, for that matter. So, I did a bit of practice before braiding my bread dough.
By “practice,” I mean I watched some YouTube videos.
I also hit “play” and “rewind” a lot on the Bread Week episode of this season’s Great British Bake Off when Paul Hollywood braids challah bread for the Technical. (What a timely episode! Thanks, Paul.)
Then I did some hands-on braiding. With some shoelaces.
It was an educational morning.
Thankfully, all went well when it came to braiding the Challah Bread. The dough was strong, smooth, and shiny, which means I was able to manipulate it pretty easily into one, thick braided loaf.
If you’re a visual learner like me, I’ve included in-process photos and a video in the recipe below. You’re welcome.
Granted, this isn’t the most perfect challah I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t look textbook. As with so many of my recipes, it’s giving off major rustic vibes. But I was super pleased, especially when it came to slicing up and eating the loaf.
Why I love Honey Challah Bread
When I pulled my challah loaf out of the oven, I was a little concerned. It didn’t look quite like all the other challahs I’ve seen out there – perfectly braided and smooth and golden. I was afraid it was going to be a crusty, harder white bread.
But, the moment the knife sank into its first cut, I knew I’d done everything right.
The crust on this Honey Challah Bread is pliant and tender, yielding gently to the blade of the knife. The crumb inside is light and airy.
You don’t even need a knife to cut into it; you can just tug it into wispy pieces with your hands.
While most challahs tend to taste eggy, Honey Challah Bread has a more subtly sweet, almost floral flavor. I didn’t use as many eggs as most recipes, and I think the honey in the recipe (vs granulated sugar) gives it a lighter flavor.
And once I slathered some salted butter on it? ZOMG. I found my bread home. Yum.
What do you serve with Honey Challah Bread?
Of course, a loaf of challah is a staple item for a Shabbat meal, as well as a Rosh Hashanah spread. Serve Honey Challah Bread with a Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad or bowl of Parmesan Broccoli Soup for a hearty, delicious lunch.
It also makes a great side dish for dinner with Friday Night Chicken, Coq au Vin, or Balsamic Rosemary Steaks. This bread is perfect for sopping up lots of gravy or au jus. Finish off your meal with a Rose Honey Cake or a Blood Orange Tart.
If for some reason you have leftovers, use slices of past-its-prime challah for fantastic Anniversary French Toast.
Surprisingly Easy Challah Bread
Ingredients
YEAST MIXTURE INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 oz package active dry yeast
- 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
CHALLAH BREAD INGREDIENTS
- yeast mixture (see above)
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 whole egg, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups bread flour, divided
TOPPING INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole egg with a drop of water
- sesame seeds, to taste (optional)
- poppy seeds, to taste (optional)
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the yeast mixture: Lightly whisk the yeast, ½ cup warm water, and sugar in a small bowl until ingredients are dissolved. Set aside.
- Separate your egg yolks. Set aside the two yolks and save the whites for another recipe (or discard).
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Fit your stand mixer with a bowl and the dough hook attachment.
- Put some additional flour in a small bowl (for sprinkling on your work surface later) and set aside.
MAKING THE CHALLAH BREAD DOUGH INSTRUCTIONS
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the 2 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, the yeast mixture, the honey, oil, salt, ¼ cup warm water, and 1 1/2 cups of flour.
- Combine the dough ingredients on LOW speed for a minute, then continue beating on LOW while slowly adding the remaining 1 ½ cup flour until a soft, sticky dough has formed (about 3 minutes).
- Knead the dough in the mixer on HIGH for 9-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic and no longer sticky. The dough should be mostly wrapped around the dough hook and not on the sides of the bowl.
- Remove the dough from the hook and loosely shape into a ball. Place dough in the prepared bowl, swish it around a bit, then turn the dough over so the greased bottom is now the top.
- Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and place in a warm place (I use my laundry room!) for its First Rise. Let dough rise for 1½ hours, or until dough is about doubled.
BRAIDING THE CHALLAH BREAD INSTRUCTIONS
- Once dough has doubled, punch down the dough in the bowl to remove air pockets.
- Sprinkle your work surface with the extra flour and turn the dough out onto it. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each piece into a 13-16 inch long strand.
- Place strands parallel to each other and close together on the prepared baking sheet. Separate them into two strands to the left, and one strand to the right.
- Starting from the MIDDLE of the bunch of strands, begin braiding: Take the LEFT outer strand and cross it over so it’s between the two other strands, and rest it alongside the RIGHT strand. You should now have two strands on the RIGHT and only one strand on the LEFT.
- Take the RIGHT outer strand and cross it over so it’s between the two other strands, and rest it alongside the LEFT strand. You should now have two strands on the LEFT (again) and only one strand on the right (AGAIN). (See video).
- Repeat this process to the bottom of the bunch of strands, then pinch the ends together and tuck them under the braid.
- Gently lift the braided dough off the baking sheet and INVERT it so the loose strands are now hanging down toward you and the braided part is pointing up.
- Part, braid, pinch, and tuck the remaining strands using the method above. You should have a fully braided loaf when you’re done.
- Cover the braided challah loaf with a clean tea towel and place in a warm place for its second rise, about 30 minutes, until the loaf has about doubled in size.
BAKING THE CHALLAH BREAD INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Whisk together the one whole egg and a few drops of water to create an egg wash.
- Remove the tea towel and brush the egg wash over the challah loaf. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and poppy seeds (if using).
- Bake challah bread for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when you (carefully! hot) tap the underside of the bread.
- Let challah cool on wire rack before slicing and eating. Serve plain or with salted butter and/or jam.
