Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah
Honey Whole Wheat Challah is a traditional braided bread with a gently sweet, hearty flavor from whole wheat flour and honey, balanced by eggs, vegetable oil, and salt. A slow-rise dough is shaped into three- or four-strand loaves, finished with sesame seeds, and served alongside festive meals, holiday spreads, or brunch.
- Prep35 mins
- Cook40 mins
- Serves18
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 55 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 19 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityFair
- 46 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
- 1 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 65
- Heart Health
- 65
- Metabolic
- 36
- Digestive
- 30
- Inflammatory
- 27
- Performance
- 36
- General Wellness
- 1
Combine bread flour, warm water, and yeast in a large bowl to form a thin batter; let stand until frothy bubbles appear, about 10 minutes. Stir in eggs, vegetable oil, honey, and salt until well combined. Beat in whole wheat flour and remaining bread flour, alternating flours, until the dough is too stiff to stir in more flour.
- 2
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed to form a slightly sticky dough. Form 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. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
- 3
Punch down the dough and knead it a few times to remove some gas bubbles; cut it into 3 equal-sized pieces. Set two dough pieces aside, covered with a cloth to prevent them from drying out while preparing the loaves.
- 4
Cut the remaining dough piece into 3 equal parts; transfer them to a floured surface and roll them into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Make the ropes fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch the 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand on the right, move it to the left over the middle strand; that strand becomes the new middle strand. Take the strand farthest to the left and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided; pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat the cutting and braiding process with the remaining 2 dough pieces. Place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; let them rise until doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- 6
Beat the remaining egg with water in a small bowl; brush the mixture over the braided challah loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- 7
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. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
- 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.
- Calories 193.49 kcal Moderate 10%
- Protein 6.02 g Moderate 12%
- Carbohydrate 30.07 g 11%
- Total Fat 6.45 g Moderate 8%
- Saturated Fat 1.18 g Moderate 6%
- Trans Fat 0.01 g High --
- Cholesterol 39.0 mg Moderate 13%
- Sodium 28.95 mg Low Source 1%
- Dietary Fiber 4.6 g Moderate 16%
- Total Sugars 6.01 g --
- Added Sugars 1.19 g Low Source 2%
- Calcium 16.64 mg Low Source 1%
- Iron 1.24 mg Low Source 7%
- Potassium 145.99 mg Low Source 3%
- Vitamin A 9.91 mcg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin C 0.04 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin D 0.17 mcg Low Source 1%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Eggs 🥚
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Sesame
About This Recipe
Honey Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah is made with 9 ingredients and serves 18. It takes about 1 hr 15 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Active Dry Yeast, Bread Flour, Eggs, and Honey. Each serving provides about 193.49 kcal.
Recipe Questions
- What is Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah made of?
- The main ingredients are Active Dry Yeast, Bread Flour, Eggs, Honey, Salt. The full list of 9 is above.
- How long does it take to make Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah?
- About 1 hr 15 mins in total: 35 mins to prepare and 40 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 193.49 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 9 ingredients and 21 steps.
- Is Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah healthy?
- Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Challah has an easyChef Pro health score of 45/100. Per serving, it provides 193.49 calories and 6.02 g of protein, or 12% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: saturated fat at 1.18 g (6% of the Daily Value). It contains Eggs, Wheat, Gluten and Sesame, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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