Challah Bread Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon water

  (warm water at 100°F 43°C)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

  (proofed)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour

  (plus 1 teaspoon for proofing the yeast and ½ c for dusting your work surface)
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk

  (slightly warmed)
• 5 large eggs

  (warmed in the shell)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• butter

  (softened at room temperature for coating the pan)
• egg wash

  (reserve 1 egg white, add 1 whole egg & a pinch of salt)

Instructions

• 1 Proof the yeast with warm water and flour for 10 minutes. In a small bowl,
  combine 1 cup of the flour, sugar, milk, eggs, egg yolks, and proofed yeast.
  Whisk lightly to combine, then cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for
  1 hour.
• 2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining 4 cups of flour and the salt. Pour
  the yeast and egg mixture over the flour and slat mixture. Combine just until
  moist, about two minutes. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow to
  rest for 20 minutes.
• 3 Using a stand mixer: knead the dough with the dough hook on medium speed for 3
  minutes, allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes, then knead again for 4-5 minutes
  more or until the dough slaps against the sides of the bowl (use a higher speed
  if necessary). By hand: knead the dough for 10 minutes. Either way, the dough
  should pass the windowpane test.
• 4 Cover again with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow to rise at room
  temperature for about two hours, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough
  and divide into three portions.
• 5 Round the three dough portions then begin to roll and stretch them out into 24
  inch long ropes. Do this in stages by stretching and/or rolling out a bit more
  length, then allowing the dough to rest, covered, for 10 minutes before rolling
  and stretching again.
• 6 Butter your 13 x 18 baking sheet (or line it with parchment paper, and butter
  the paper). Place the three ropes onto the baking sheet with one going down the
  very center, and one of the other three on each side so that all three ropes are
  laying down the center of the baking sheet next to each other. (they will extend
  beyond the baking sheet prior to braiding)
• 7 Braid the ropes, starting at the center and working toward each end of the
  baking sheet. Tuck each completed end in by pressing the ends together and
  tucking them downward and under the loaf. Cover the loaf with oiled plastic wrap
  or a damp cloth and allow to rise between 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• 8 Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C) and coat the Challah bread loaf with the egg
  wash. Place the baking sheet with the loaf on it into the oven on the center
  rack, with another baking pan or sheet on the bottom rack filled ¼ full with
  water.
• 9 After placing the loaf in the oven, and closing the oven door, have a spray
  bottle ready to spritz the loaf with water at 30-second intervals 3 times. After
  moistening the loaf with the water, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C)
  and bake for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 185°F (85°C).
  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Info