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Sweet Challah

Breakfast 🍳Dessert 🍰Side Dish 🥗Snack 🍿 Israeli 🇮🇱Jewish 🇮🇱 Low-CarbLow-SodiumVegetarian 🥦Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Pescatarian 🐟

Sweet Challah is a rich, egg-forward braided bread with a tender crumb and a glossy, golden crust. Lightly sugary with a delicate aroma, it’s perfect warm from the oven, served for holidays, brunch, or as a special loaf for French toast and snacking with butter and jam.

  • Prep1 hr
  • Cook30 mins
  • Serves20
  • DifficultyMedium
Sweet Challah
  1. 1

    In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1/3 cup sugar in 2 cups warm water. Let it sit until a creamy layer forms on top, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour to create a loose sponge.

  2. 2

    In a separate bowl, beat together 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 4 eggs, and 1 tablespoon salt; stir this into the yeast-flour sponge until well combined. Continue adding flour, 1 cup at a time, up to a total of 9 cups. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not so wet that it sticks to your hands.

  3. 3

    Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead to develop gluten, 5 minutes. Shape it into a compact round; place it in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 minutes.

  4. 4

    Grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1 teaspoon water; refrigerate until you need the glaze.

  5. 5

    Cut the dough into 4 pieces; cut each piece into 3 smaller pieces for 3-strand braided loaves. On a floured surface, roll the 12 dough pieces into ropes about thumb-thick and about 12 inches long. Make the ropes slightly thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand farthest right, move it left over the middle strand (it becomes the new middle). Take the strand farthest left and move it over the new middle strand (it becomes the new middle). Continue alternating sides until the loaf is fully braided. Pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat finish. Repeat with the remaining dough ropes. Place the 4 loaves on the prepared baking sheets; let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. Brush the egg glaze on top of the loaves; reserve the remaining glaze.

  6. 6

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

  7. 7

    Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes; remove from the oven and brush another coat of glaze onto the loaves. Continue baking until the tops are shiny and golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let cool before slicing.