Challah Bread

Bread — shaping it, baking it, blessing it and sharing it — is part of almost every Jewish holiday.

The bond among Jews, God and bread goes back to the first five books of the Bible: As the Israelites are about to end their exile, God commands them to show gratitude by setting aside a portion, or “challah,” of all the bread they make after entering the Holy Land.

But nowhere in Jewish scripture is it written that challah is a braided, sweet, yellow, deliciously squishy bread of the kind familiar to most American Jews, which comes from the rich tradition of Eastern European baking.

Happy Baking!

Challah Bread

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 2 hrs

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

  

• 400 gm Refined Flour
• 10 gm Active Dry Yeast
• 15 gm Sugar
• 150 ml Water
• 50 gm Butter
• 10 gm Black Sesame Seeds
• 10 gm Poppy Seeds

Instructions

 

• In a mixing bowl collect all the dry ingredients, mix them and add water.
• Knead a soft dough, make sure sugar granules are mixed in the dough completely.
• Once soft dough is ready, add butter to it and start kneading it again. Dough should be soft and gluttony.
• Keep the dough for first proofing, cover it with damped cloth in hot and dry place. Let it rest for 45 minutes.
• Once the dough is doubled it's original size, punch it and remove all the air.
• Divide the dough into three parts, roll long strings and combine them using braiding technique. Roll it into circular shape.
• Let the shaped bread rest for 30 minutes, for second proofing.
• Preheat oven at 210 degrees.
• Once second proofing is done, brush water and salt mixture on top of your bread and sprinkle sesame and poppy seeds.
• Bake your Challah for 20-25 minutes at 210 degrees.
• Once its baked, brush some oil on top of it and let it rest for about 2 hours.

  Enjoy!