This traditional challah recipe creates a delicious bread you will want to have around every day. The challah dough recipe is also a great master dough for your favorite add-ins and for making so many other delicious breads.
When I heard about the Hot Bread Kitchen cookbook, I could not wait to get my hands on it. I've heard a bit about the bakery in the past and was excited to learn that they are finally sharing some of their recipes. The Hot Bread Kitchen bakery is actually a social enterprise that provides education and hands-on experience to low-income minority women. Not only do they teach them about baking, but they also teach them about managing a bakery in all its aspects so they may find opportunities within the food industry, or even start their own food-related business. This touches me to the core and I cannot help but want to do everything I can to help further their cause.
The cookbook is filled with so many different types of bread from around the world. Some I was already familiar with, but most were completely new to me. Spread out in the cook are other recipes for curries, sandwiches, and a few sweeter dishes. All perfect for making with leftover bread you may have from the book, or meals to eat with your bread. You learn a bit about some of the bakers and some of the recipes they've taught one another from their home countries as well as the history and workings of Hot Bread Kitchen.
I decided to try the traditional challah recipe. During my baking, I learned about the variations of challah and how they cal tell you where the person who made the bread may be from. For instance, this particular recipe, one with a lot of egg are typical of Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe. Hot Bread Kitchen also uses this recipe as a master dough for several other breads that they make, including their Parker House Rolls.
I've only made a challah recipe once before. A chocolate and cherry-filled one that I never got the chance to share on the blog (we ended up eating it too fast), so my braiding technique.... well, there is no technique in it at all when I do it. Which you can tell by the photos. I am practicing, so hopefully it'll be even better the next time I make it! Fair warning, this challah recipe uses a pate fermentee to give it more flavor. This means you will need to plan ahead as the pate fermentee needs at least 8 hours to rise, preferably 24 hours.
Recipe Card
Traditional Challah Recipe
Ingredients
Pate Fermentee
- ½ cup water warm, plus 1 teaspoon
- ⅔ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ⅓ cup bread flour plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Challah
- 2 ½ cups flour bread or all-purpose
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 recipe pate fermentee recipe below
- 3 large eggs yolks beaten
- 2 ½ tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons water more as needed
- 3 tablespoons oil more for bowl
- 2 large eggs beaten
Instructions
Pate Fermentee
- Place the water and yeast in a bowl, then add the flour and salt. Mix until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Place the covered dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably 24. Can be used cold
Challah
- Add all of the ingredients except the 2 large eggs listed at the end into a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low until everything combines, then slowly bring up the speed to medium-high until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. (If you don't see everything becoming fully incorporated after a few minutes, add water, one tablespoon at a time until it comes together.)
- Lightly coat a bowl with oil and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap, then place the bowl in a plastic bag. Place in a warm, dry area for 1 ½ hours.
- Deflate the dough and transfer to a very lightly floured surface. Divide into four equal pieces. Roll each piece to about 18 inches in length.
- Form a two-strand braid. You can do this by making an "X" with two of the ropes. Take two opposite ends of the "X" and fold over so the end that was on the bottom is now on the top and vice versa for the top end. Repeat with the other two ends. Keep repeating this until you can't any longer. Turn this bundle onto it's side and gently stretch to show the braid. Take the small end, which should be the end with the ends of the ropes and press together and tuck under the braid. Repeat with the other two ropes.
- Brush the loaves with the beaten eggs. Cover and rise for an hour. While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush again with the eggs and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The bread should be a dark brown and sounds hollow when you tap on it. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Maya says
So ladies, I will let you know in about 3 hours if I “found out the hard way” about salt. It looked shockingly high to me but I still did it and though I own the book and made many recipes from it before, I neglected to read about flake salt 🙁 so now my dough is proofing with around 3 tsps (I did take it down a notch) of fine sea salt! I can smell a disaster already! I feel it should’ve been around half of that for the amount of flour but we’ll see how (if) it rises now. I literally looked up the recipe after I mixed my dough to see if anyone anywhere commented on salt (don’t know why I do this to myself). Stand by 🙂
Maya says
OK. So it was an epic fail! No rise at all. I am trying to resurrect it now with addition of second batch of flour/yeast/water to see what happens. Just can’t bring myself to throwing out perfectly fine ingredients (and yes, my yeast is fine, I bake almost daily).
Jake says
Hi, Amanda! I know this is an older post, but since I stumbled across the recipe and own this book I thought I would throw my two-cents in here...
The recipe calls for 4½ teaspoons of salt in total (including what's in the pâte fermentée), which for the amount of flour looks high to me. There is a small note in the ingredients section at the beginning of the book where the author explains that she uses Diamond Crystal kosher flake salt and all the recipes are formulated accordingly. Diamond Crystal salt takes up much more volume than granulated table, sea salt and even other common kosher salts like Morton's. Consequently, the author recommends halving the volume of salt if you intend on using something other than Diamond Crystal.
Not that I found that out the hard way when I made my first batch or anything... Totally didn't wind up with half-risen bread jerky.
By the way, the two-strand braid can go wrong so easily I'd be pleased with the ones you made. My first loaf somehow wound up being two twists that wrapped around each other. 🙂
Amanda Powell says
Hi Jake, it has been a while since I’ve shared this, I’ve actually wanted to go back and fix it up. As you can see, the older posts aren’t entirely that helpful in terms of tips and additional helpful information. I would like to include some photos or at least a quick video of braiding at minimum. That’s a very good point on the salt. I vaguely remember it, but it’s been a while since I’ve gone through the book. I don’t remember what salt I used. I know it wasn’t Morton’s kosher, I might have even tried it with their flaky sea salt to get that volume. Of course, I didn’t mention it anywhere. You’ve definitely inspired me to go back and really fix up the post with *actually helpful* information!
Irene Riley says
I finally found the pate fermentte recipe but only after I went to your site. When do I add this in to the regular ingredients?
While it looks great I'm just nervous about trying the recipe till I know the complete recipe and directions.
Thanks,
Irene
Amanda says
Hi Irene, you add the pate fermentee with the other ingredients into your mixer. I add it in the order listed, but you can do it in any order! The description for braiding the challah might not be the best either, but I had a tough time describing it as it was my first time doing that type of braid. Please let me know if you have any other questions regarding the recipe!! 🙂
Sabrina says
Very nice! I love challah bread 🙂
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
Your challah looks gorgeous, Amanda! Both the outside and inside are perfection!
Amanda says
Thanks so much, Beeta, I was really nervous with how I braided it since it was a little confusing for me, haha!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Delicious- challah is the best 🙂