WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE: I have experimented with a lot of challah recipes lately and this one is my absolute favorite. It’s moist, slightly sweet, and perfect for Friday nights, holidays, sandwiches, French toast and so much more!
Bob's Challah
Servings: 1 loaf
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water (105° to 115° F)
- 2 pkgs active dry yeast
- 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 5 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup honey
- poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve 1 tsp. sugar in the warm water.
- Add the yeast and let sit until dissolved and foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Mix 3 eggs in large bowl, preferably stainless steel.
- Add yeast mixture and mix well with well-oiled wooden spoon.
- Add 4-1/2 cups of flour one cup at a time, salt, butter and honey and mix until this sticky dough comes together.
- Using dough scraper and keeping in bowl, fold ingredients together 5 min. or so until smooth.
- Form dough into ball and put in lightly oiled bowl.
- Cut a piece of plastic wrap for cover and spray one side with vegetable oil spray.
- Place sprayed-side down over bowl and let the dough rise in warm, draft-free area until doubled, about 2 hours.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Punch down the dough.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl with a dough scraper onto a clean work surface, adding 1/2 cup of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface.
- Use your favorite braiding technique to make a loaf.
- Put an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat it to 325° F.
- While oven is preheating, place the braided loaf on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Cover with plastic wrap, again sprayed on one side.
- Let the dough rise until doubled and feels spongy, about 45 minutes.
- Gently brush egg with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with seeds.
- Wipe any excess yolk from around the bottom edges of the bread.
- Checking at 18-19 minutes, bake until the internal temperature reads 190° F. on an instant read thermometer.
- Transfer loaf to wire rack and let it cool completely.
Notes
Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel topping is also excellent on this challah.
There are great videos on YouTube if you need help with braiding ideas and techniques.
I absolutely love this Challah recipe. It works perfectly each time.
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!!
Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Kudos!
Thank you!