Challah Traditional Braided Egg Bread Recipe

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Challah Traditional Braided Egg Bread
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Ingredients
11
Count
Nutrition
141
Calories
Total time
55
Minutes
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Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp dry yeast (or 1 cake moist yeast)
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tsp butter to start , and about 4-6 tsp more as the recipe progresses
  • 1/4 cup honey , more if you like a sweeter bread
  • roughly 6 cup bread flour , probably a bit more
  • 2 tsp salt
  • i have tasted this with raisins! use both dark and golden, increase the honey by 2 tsp, and make two smaller loaves
  • 1-2 tsp milk

Directions:

  1. Warm a large bowl with hot water, empty it out.
  2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water into which you have stirred the initial honey, and proof the yeast, about 5 minutes.
  3. When it has risen to the top, stir in 1 c of the flour, and let it rise for about 10 minutes.
  4. It will look somewhat smoother and lighter, but not smooth and puffy.
  5. Stir in the eggs, butter, honey, salt, and the rest of the flour, or enough to make a very soft dough, more like a stiff batter.
  6. Let the dough rise until just short of doubled. It will have stiffened somewhat as the flour expands and gets absorbed. Add some more water if necessary, a few spoonsful at a time.
  7. Knead it until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Eight to ten minutes is better. You will likely need to add some flour, but remember that you do not want a stiff dough. If you feel that it is too sticky but that you have already used enough flour, butter your kneading surface and your hands and continue. It must be kneaded by hand. The dough hook will not do it. A bread machine will not do it. Trust me on this.
  8. When the dough is beautifully satiny and elastic, i.e. sufficiently kneaded, turn it into a buttered bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
  9. Punch it down and begin shaping.
  10. You will divide the dough into four equal portions.
  11. Make thick ropes of three of them and form a tight braid on a buttered baking sheet. You will not be able to pick it up and transfer it, so work on the baking sheet itself.
  12. Crimp the ends firmly and turn them under so the braid doesn't unravel.
  13. Take the remaining quarter, divide it into three portions, and make thinner ropes of them.
  14. Braid them, on any surface of your choosing (this is much lighter, so you can transfer it safely), and place the resulting braid on top of the larger braid.
  15. If you are baking this for Rosh Hashonah, join the two ends of the braid together into a circle, then adorn with the smaller braid, and bake in a buttered circular pan.
  16. Mix the egg yolk and milk thoroughly to make an egg-wash glaze.
  17. Dip your fingers into it and cover the challah thoroughly with it, stroking the lobes. Ooooh!
  18. Place the challah in a warm place (like an oven pre-heated to 150 ° F, then turned off) and let rise until doubled. When you poke it lightly with a finger, the impression of your finger should remain, rather than the dough springing back.
  19. Glaze it again, and bake for 45 minutes at 350° F, or until the crust is dark golden-brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped. Go by the signs rather than by the time.
  20. This is time-consuming, but well worth it. I like to serve it on special ceremonial occasions and have people pull off hunks, preferably all all at the same time. Serve with honey, of course.
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Nutrition Facts

Per ServingPer 100 g
Amount Per 1 Serving
Calories 141.03 Kcal (590 kJ)
Calories from fat 20.79 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2.31g 4%
Cholesterol 30.96mg 10%
Sodium 400.96mg 17%
Potassium 27.21mg 1%
Total Carbs 29.88g 10%
Sugars 28.58g 114%
Dietary Fiber 0.09g 0%
Protein 1.12g 2%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Iron 0.2mg 1%
Calcium 12.7mg 1%
Amount Per 100 g
Calories 213.32 Kcal (893 kJ)
Calories from fat 31.44 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3.49g 4%
Cholesterol 46.82mg 10%
Sodium 606.51mg 17%
Potassium 41.16mg 1%
Total Carbs 45.2g 10%
Sugars 43.23g 114%
Dietary Fiber 0.14g 0%
Protein 1.7g 2%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Iron 0.2mg 1%
Calcium 19.2mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Tastes

  • salty
  • savory
  • bitter
  • sweet
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Recipe Tags

Weightwatchers Points

  • 3
    Points
  • 4
    PointsPlus

Good Points

  • saturated fat free

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