Traditional Jewish Bread Recipe

This recipe is a tasty fool-proof recipe that involves no oil for your Jewish Sabbath and is easy to make! From my Ema Ljuba.

The BEST challah bread recipe you’ll find, I’ll show you step-by-step how to make my Grandmother’s famous six-strand challah bread, perfect for the Jewish Sabbath or weekend French toast.

This challah bread recipe hails from my Ema Ljuba, my Bubbe on my dad’s side, who is the matriarch of the Jewish side of my family. She spends most of her time in Israel now so we don’t get to see her as often as we’d like, but every time I bake her challah bread I am transported to her kitchen in Berkeley, CA where I learned how to make this irresistible recipe.

Easy Challah Bread Recipe With Video

Recently my Ema Ljuba has been in town and my boys ask to see her almost every day. She has that sort of lasting impact on children, and adults! Effervescent, charismatic, joyful and always smiling from ear to ear, Ema Ljuba is the most magical grandmother in the world, and that wonder translates to her food. You can taste the love!

Challah bread originates in Eastern Europe and is part of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. It is typically braided in 4 or 6 strands and eaten on ceremonial occasions such as the Jewish Shabbat (sundown Friday), and major Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year). The texture and consistency of challah bread is similar to brioche due to the high number of eggs in the recipe. Light, fluffy and eggy, leftovers make the ultimate French toast or bread pudding! If you’ve never baked homemade bread before, I urge you to give this fool-proof recipe a shot. Believe me, if I’m baking bread (with yeast!), I can assure you anyone can do it.

To get started, dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl or liquid glass measuring cup with 1 tablespoon sugar and set aside.

Challah Braided Bread • Curious Cuisiniere

Next, pour in the oil or melted butter and mix well with a wooden spoon or with low to medium speed. If dough doesn’t start coming together, add a bit more flour, a couple tablespoons at a time, until it pulls away from the bowl. You want the dough to be sticky though.

Once the entire mass sticks together, turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 5 minutes, adding in that last cup of flour as needed to form a smooth, pliable, glossy ball. This is a great time to get out any aggression!

Then drizzle a large bowl with vegetable oil (canola oil works too) and place dough into bowl flipping it over to make sure it is covered with the oil. This will prevent it from sticking. Cover with a towel and let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size.

Challah At Ya From Vienna!” The Austrian Origins Of The Classic Jewish Braided Eggy Yeast Bread (recipe) #iconicjewishfood

Once the dough has doubled in size, this is the fun part: punch down with a fist and dump onto a lightly floured surface. Knead one or two more times before dividing the dough in half to begin forming two braided loaves.

From there, you will divide each half into either 3 strands (or 4 or 6 depending on how intricate you want your loaf to be braided.)

Now that the strands have been rolled out, it’s time to begin braiding. Similar to weaving a pie crust, you’ll want to weave each strand over and under the next one.

Vegan Challah = Traditional Water Challah (i.e., Israeli “hasidic” Challah): The Challah From The Famous Viznitz Bakery In Bnei Brak (recipe) #pareve

If you’re a visual learner like I am, check out this step-by-step video guide I created to braiding challah bread. Once you’ve finished braiding the challah, place each loaf on a greased large baking sheet (or one lined with a silicone baking mat), cover with a dry towel and let rise a second time.

Place both pans in the oven and bake the challah bread for about 30 minutes or until bread is golden brown on the surface.

One HUGE baking tip: admittedly, I don’t love the giant mess that baking bread can create in the kitchen. Turns out, neither does my Aunt Sabrina! The solution? All of the dough kneading can be done in a stand mixer with a dough hook! We all use and love the classic KitchenAid stand mixer so if you don’t have one, you should certainly think about adding it to your holidaywish list.

Homemade Challah Bread {step By Step}

Sugar aids in the proofing of the yeast so it is an essential ingredient in this recipe. I don’t recommend using any alternative sweetener.

The dough typically takes two hours to rise during each proof. I recommend letting it sit in a well-oiled bowl in room temperature with a towel or plastic wrap placed on top.

Challah bread, if made traditionally, is pareve and kosher. It doesn’t use any dairy or meat. No milk or butter is usually used in challah! It also uses a lot of yeast compared to other breads, but that adds to the fluffy and light texture!

How To Make Challah Bread With Video

Whether you are Jewish or not, everyone can enjoy my grandma’s delicious Shabbat Challah Bread, and I urge you to give it a try!

Calories: 167 kcal Carbohydrates: 26.9 g Protein: 4.5 g Fat: 4.5 g Saturated Fat: 2.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 48 mg Sodium: 303 mg Fiber: 0.6 g Sugar: 5.2 g

Hey there, I’m Liz Della Croce and I’m thrilled to have you here! My aim is to motivate and ignite your passion for cooking amazing meals for your loved ones.Challah is a rich and slightly sweet pillow-y bread that is traditionally served every week for the Sabbath and major Jewish holidays. Anyone can make it, though…and should! Despite its incredibly impressive look, preparing it is quite easy. And absolutely delicious. It’s truly a showstopper on any dinner table.

Bread Machine Challah Recipe

Simply put, Challah (pronounced “ha-luh” – the c is silent) is a yeast dough enriched with eggs and butter (or oil if keeping Kosher), with a little added sugar for sweetness. What sets it apart is how it’s prepared and the stunning presentation once baked. The dough is separated into strands and braided, brushed with an egg wash, then baked until tender and golden.

On a deeper level, it’s a special bread of Jewish origin, loaded with tradition and symbolism, typically served for Shabbat (or Sabbath, in English) Friday dinner and major Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah.

Challah’s most magnificent characteristic is its gorgeous golden sheen and of course the braid. While it can be made in different shapes and sizes, the most traditional braid is a three-strand loaf, representing love, peace, and justice. Making two loaves of challah (and thus, six strands), is also known to symbolize the six work days of the week aside from Shabbat.

Traditional Challah Bread + Video

Round loaves are served for Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year. It’s meant to represent the continuity of a year, since a round loaf has no beginning or end.

Many people compare challah and brioche because they are very similar. Both are enriched yeast dough made with eggs, with a similar sweetness, golden shell, and pillow-like texture. For added flavor and texture, sprinkle on some sesame seeds or poppy seeds before baking.

The most significant difference is that Challah is part of the Jewish culture and typically made with oil (instead of butter) to keep it kosher. To keep Kosher, dairy and meats are not to be eaten together. (NOTE: the recipe we’re sharing today does include butter. If keeping kosher, substitute with a neutral-flavored oil such as vegetable or canola.)

Easy Challah Bread

If you’re lucky enough to have any Challah leftover, leave some out on the counter overnight, uncovered, and put it to great use the next morning for the best french toast or use in a french toast casserole. Leftovers are also wonderful in bread pudding or for roast beef sandwiches.

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onTikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, andYouTube!

Challah is a rich and slightly sweet pillow-y bread that is traditionally served every week for the Sabbath and major Jewish holidays. Anyone can make it, though…and should! Despite its incredibly impressive look, preparing it is quite easy. And absolutely delicious.

Best Challah Bread (braided Egg Bread) Ever!

Storing leftovers: You can store your cooled challah on the counter for up to 4 days. Secure it tightly in plastic wrap, store it in a ziploc bag, or another airtight container to maintain freshness.

To freeze: You can freeze an entire loaf or individual slices. Wrap it in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying.

Calories: 168 kcal | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 4 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 35 mg | Sodium: 261 mg | Potassium: 47 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 140 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 10 mg | Iron: 2 mg

Traditional Braided Challah Bread Recipe

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use