How to Make a 4-Strand Challah

Learn how easy it is to shape a 4-strand, round challah for Rosh Hashanah.

Servings: 1 challah

Author: Rob Finkelstein

Prep Time
5 minutes

Total Time
5 minutes

Course:

Bread

Cuisine:

Jewish

Keywords:

🧂 Ingredients

½ recipe Challah

Instructions

1 Make the Dough. My traditional Challah recipe
[https://cinnamonshtick.com/challah/] already has honey in it, so it is super
ready for Rosh Hashanah! Alternatively, you can use the full recipe of my Whole
Wheat Challah [https://cinnamonshtick.com/whole-wheat-challah/], my Spelt
Challah [https://cinnamonshtick.com/spelt-challah/], or my Fluffy Sourdough
Challah [https://cinnamonshtick.com/fluffy-sourdough-challah/]. You can also
make my Tangzhong Challah [https://cinnamonshtick.com/tangzhong-challah/], which
will be enough dough for two challot.
2 Divide the Dough. After the first bulk rise of the dough (Step 5 in the Challah
recipe [https://cinnamonshtick.com/challah/], Step 7 in the Whole Wheat Challah
[https://cinnamonshtick.com/whole-wheat-challah/], Step 3 in the Spelt Challah
[https://cinnamonshtick.com/spelt-challah/], Step 2 in the Fluffy Sourdough
Challah [https://cinnamonshtick.com/fluffy-sourdough-challah/], and Step 4 in
the Tangzhong Challah [https://cinnamonshtick.com/tangzhong-challah/]), divide
it into four equal portions. Your best bet is to weigh the total amount of the
dough, divide by 4, and weigh out 4 equal portions.
3 Roll Dough into Strands. Roll each of the 4 portions into strands, approximately
12 inches long. If the dough starts pulling back (shrinking), cover it with
plastic wrap and let it rest 5-10 minutes.
4 Braid. Line up 2strands in front of you, so they appear vertically in front of
you. Lay the remaining two strands alternately (weaving) with the vertical ones
so that the centers of the strands form a weave. Start from one strand and work
your way clock-wise, placing each strand over the one next to it. When you get
back to where you began, go counter-clockwise. Repeat until you reach the ends
of the strands. Tuck in the ends to the bottom of the challah, pinching them
into place.
5 Second Rise. Cover and allow the 4-Strand Challah to rise as stated in the
recipe you are using. Egg wash the outside of the Challah and decorate with
seeds as desired. Bake as instructed.
6 Cool and Enjoy. Allow the challah to cool completely before slicing.