Simple Homemade Challah Loaf

Name: Simple Homemade Challah Loaf
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Israeli, Jewish
Ingredients: 1 whole Active Dry Yeast; 3.5 cups All-Purpose Flour; 3 whole Eggs; 2 tbsp Honey; 1 tsp Salt; 1 cup Water

Breakfast 🍳Side Dish 🥗Snack 🍿 Israeli 🇮🇱Jewish 🇮🇱 Low-Sodium Heart-Healthy ❤️Vegetarian 🥦Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Comfort-Food Clean Eating Pescatarian 🐟

Simple Homemade Challah Loaf bakes up with a glossy, golden crust and a tender, slightly sweet crumb that pulls apart in soft strands. It’s special enough for holiday tables yet comforting for everyday meals, perfect for serving warm with butter or using for French toast the next morning.

Prep25 mins
Cook30 mins
Serves10
DifficultyMedium

1

Gather the ingredients.
2

Put the water and yeast in a large bowl; let it sit until a creamy layer forms on top, about 10 minutes. Stir in the honey and salt until dissolved, then add the beaten eggs.
3

Mix in the flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is sticky. Dust the dough with flour, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
4

Shape the dough into a tight round and place it in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough several times in the bowl to coat its surface with oil, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5

Punch down the dough and cut it into 3 equal pieces.
6

On a floured surface, roll the small pieces of dough into ropes about thumb thickness and about 12 inches long, making them thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends.
7

Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the right-hand strand, move it left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle).
8

Take the far-left strand and move it over the new middle strand.
9

Keep braiding, switching sides each time, until the loaf is fully braided, then pinch the ends together and tuck them underneath for a tidy finish.
10

Set the braided loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the top with beaten egg yolk. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
11

Bake the challah in the preheated oven until the top turns a deep golden color and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.