Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah

Name: Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 18 servings
Cuisine: Israeli, Jewish
Ingredients: 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast; 1 cup Bread Flour; 3 whole Eggs; 0.33 cup Honey; 2 tsp Salt; 0.25 cup Sesame Seeds; 0.33 cup Vegetable Oil; 2.13 cups Water; 3 cups Whole Wheat Flour

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

Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah offers a tender, slightly sweet crumb with the nutty depth of whole wheat and a rich, eggy texture. A glossy sesame-studded crust adds gentle crunch, making it perfect for holiday tables, special breakfasts, or for turning into luxurious French toast and sandwiches the next day.

Prep35 mins
Cook40 mins
Serves18
DifficultyMedium

1

Combine 1 cup bread flour, 2 1/8 cups warm water, and yeast in a large bowl to make a thin batter; let it sit until frothy bubbles form, about 10 minutes.
2

Stir in 3 eggs, vegetable oil, honey, and salt until well combined.
3

Beat in whole wheat flour and the remaining 2 cups bread flour, alternating the flours by cupfuls, until the dough becomes too stiff to stir in more flour.
4

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to make a slightly sticky dough.
5

Shape the dough into a round; place it in a large, lightly oiled bowl and turn it a few times to coat the surface with oil.
6

Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
7

Punch down the dough and knead it a few times to release some gas bubbles; cut it into 3 equal pieces.
8

Set two pieces aside, covered with a cloth so they do not dry out while you prepare the loaves.
9

Cut the remaining piece into 3 equal parts; move them to a floured surface and roll them into ropes about thumb-thick and about 12 inches long.
10

Make the ropes slightly thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends.
11

Pinch the 3 ropes together at the top and braid them.
12

Starting with the right strand, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle).
13

Take the far-left strand and move it over the new middle strand.
14

Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided; pinch the ends together and tuck them underneath for a neat finish.
15

Repeat cutting and braiding with the remaining 2 dough pieces.
16

Place the braided loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet; let them rise until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
17

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
18

Beat the remaining 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; brush it over the braided challah loaves.
19

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
20

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottoms, about 40 minutes.
21

Cool on a wire rack before slicing.