Easy Challah Bread

Easy Challah Bread is a delicious and slightly sweet braided yeast bread with a golden crust and a soft, tender interior. Serve challah bread sliced with butter, for French toast, in sandwiches, as toast with various toppings, or as a snack! For another sweet bread, I also have Hawaiian Rolls you will enjoy!

What Is Challah?

Challah bread is a traditional Jewish bread known for its slightly sweet flavor, golden-brown crust, and soft, braided texture. It’s often enjoyed on special occasions and during religious observances like the Sabbath and holidays. Challah is made from simple ingredients, including flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, and oil. Its distinctive braided shape symbolizes unity and tradition in Jewish culture. Challah can also be made in a circular shape for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Water: Lukewarm water is added to the dough mixture for added moisture and to activate the yeast.

Yeast: In this recipe, use instant yeast, which is also called quick-rise or fast-rising yeast. Unlike active dry yeast, which needs to be dissolved in warm water and allowed to sit for a few minutes to activate, rapid-rise yeast can be directly added to the dry ingredients in the recipe. This saves time and simplifies the baking process.

All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is the primary dry ingredient in Challah Bread. It provides the structure and texture to the bread. The type of flour used can affect the final texture, but all-purpose flour is the most common choice.

Sugar: A quarter cup of granulated sugar was the perfect amount of sugar to give the bread a slight sweetness to it, not too much!

Eggs: One egg will be mixed into the dough. The other egg is mixed with water for an egg wash. The egg wash is important for the shiny crust.

Oil: Oil, like canola oil or vegetable oil, provides moisture to the dough, making it softer and more tender. It also contributes to the flavor and richness of the bread.

Optional Topping: It is up to you if you add poppy seeds or sesame seeds on top of the loaves before baking.

How To Serve Challah Bread

Challah bread is delicious on its own with a little butter. However, it is a versatile bread that can be served and enjoyed in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas:

• French Toast: Challah makes excellent French toast.
• Sandwiches: Use challah for sandwiches; its soft texture complements various sandwich ingredients.
• Toasted with Toppings: Toast challah slices and top them with various ingredients like avocado, cream cheese and jam, peanut butter and honey, or even poached eggs and hollandaise sauce for a gourmet breakfast.
• Bread Pudding: Challah’s rich, tender crumb is perfect for bread pudding.
• Snacking: Challah is a great snack on its own. Tear off a piece and enjoy it with cheese, hummus, or your favorite dip.
• Creative Leftovers: Use leftover challah for croutons for salads, bread crumbs for coating, or as a base for bread pudding.

Can I Make Challah Bread Without A Mixer?

Sure! You could mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Then, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Mixing by hand will take a little longer and require some muscle, but it can still be done! Then, continue with the recipe as written.

How To Store Challah Bread

To keep your freshly baked Challah bread fresh, there are a couple of ways to store it.

Room Temperature: First, wrap the bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Or, put the bread into a resealable plastic bag. It will last at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.

To Freeze: To freeze the bread, first, let it cool completely. Next, wrap the bread tightly and place it in a freezer-safe bag. I like to slice the loaf before freezing so I can take out the amount I need. The bread will last up to 2-3 months in the freezer. When ready to enjoy the bread, let it thaw at room temperature while still in the packaging.