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This is hands-down the Best Challah Bread Recipe you’ll ever try. I turn to it every single week (or batch it for the freezer)! Made with simple ingredients and naturally sweetened with honey, this easy Challah recipe is soft, slightly sweet (just right!), and perfect for everything from Shabbat dinner to Sunday morning French toast. It’s our family recipe that I’m thrilled to share with you!
Whether you’re new to baking bread or looking for a tried-and-true classic, this is one recipe you’ll want to bookmark. My favorite part? It makes a ton, enough for 2 large loaves or 3–6 smaller ones. We are a family of four, so I generally make a bunch of smaller ones, and always freeze a few to have on hand for when we want fresh challah bread!
This recipe was handed down by my mother-in-law, and I make it with my girls mostly every single week. It’s one of our favorite traditions! The bread is definitely not gluten-free, like nearly all of my other recipes. However, it is delicious, and I get requests for the recipe every time I share it online. One taste, and you’ll never go back to store-bought bread again.
What is Challah Bread and What Makes It Different From Regular Bread?
Challah is a traditional Jewish egg bread that’s slightly sweet, pillowy soft, and beautifully braided before baking. Unlike basic white bread, Challah is enriched with eggs, oil, and honey, giving it a rich flavor and golden exterior. It’s also traditionally dairy-free (parve), making it a staple for Jewish holidays and Shabbat meals, alongside gluten-free matzo ball soup and gluten-free potato latkes.
Ingredients and Notes
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
- Active Dry Yeast: This helps the dough rise, giving the bread a light, airy texture. Make sure to use active dry yeast, NOT instant yeast!
- Honey: Adds a hint of sweetness without the need for refined sugar.
- Bread Flour: This has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which creates a softer, fluffier bread. If needed, all-purpose flour will also work, but the texture will change slightly.
- Oil: Avocado oil is my preference, but any oil will work. Or, if you don’t need to keep your Challah parve, melted butter is also wonderful, adding amazing extra richness.
- Eggs: Whole eggs contribute to the bread’s rich flavor and help give it structure so that it holds its shape. Then, I use egg wash to create a shiny exterior.
- Salt: Don’t skip this! It won’t make your bread salty, but it does balance the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Toppings: The world is your oyster but we love classic sesame seeds. Sometimes my oldest daughter Skylar adds cinnamon, chocolate chips and sprinkles to hers!
How to Make the Best Challah Recipe
- Activate the yeast: Combine the yeast, salt, honey, and hot tap water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir, and let the mixture sit for a few minutes.
- Form the gluten: Add the whole wheat flour, and beat for a couple of minutes to form the gluten. I like to use the paddle attachment!
- Add the wet ingredients: Beat the oil and eggs into the mixture until well combined.
- Mix in the white flour: Using the bread hook attachment, beat a bit of the bread flour in, adding more once combined until all the flour is incorporated and a soft dough forms.
- Knead: Transfer the dough to a floured surface, and knead until it’s smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking!
- Let it rise: Place the dough in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. Tip: Heat a microwave safe bowl filled with water for about 45 seconds. Be careful, because it will be hot when you remove. Discard and place your bowl with dough in the warm microwave.
- Knead and shape: Next, punch the dough down, and knead it again on a floured surface. Then, divide the dough into two or more balls of dough, and shape them into ropes to braid. Braid the bread dough. (See below)
- Rise a second time and glaze: Transfer the braided Challah loaves to a lined baking sheet, and let them rise again at room temperature or in a dry, warm place. Then, brush egg wash on top, and add any toppings. I like sesame seeds!
- Bake: Transfer the bread to a preheated oven, and bake until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when gently tapped. Cool completely, slice, and enjoy!
But First… How to Braid Challah:
Braiding challah might seem intimidating, but it’s actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it. This recipe uses a classic 3-strand braid:
- Roll out 3 equal-sized pieces of dough.
- Connect the dough strands together at one end. Then, spread the strands apart.
- Place the outside right strand over the middle, then the outside left strand over the middle (or vice versa). It doesn’t matter which side you start on. As the outside strand moves over the middle, you’ll notice that you are creating a new middle, just like braiding hair.
- Continue braiding until you reach the end of the dough. Then, press the ends together, and fold them under.
Second rise time! 30 Minutes, Then egg wash and toppings.
Kitchen Tools I Use
- Measuring Cups
- Food Scale
- Measuring Spoons
- Stand Mixer (I use both the paddle and the bread hook attachments)
- Mixing Bowl
- Plastic Wrap or Shower Caps (shower caps are my kitchen life hack!)
- Baking Sheet
My Top Tips & Tricks
Honestly this recipe is pretty foolproof. I don’t use a scale! It’s fairly forgiving if you don’t forget any steps!
- Don’t rush the proofing process. Letting the dough double in size in the first rise, is key to creating a soft, fluffy texture. About one hour, 1.5 is great. Once you braid, a second rise of 30 minutes is great.
- Avoid over-mixing. Combine the bread dough ingredients just until smooth, and knead just until it’s pliable. Continuing to mix or knead can overwork the gluten, which results in a dense, tough loaf.
- Ensure a perfect rise. If you feel your house isn’t humid enough (I.E. Fall or Winter), you can place the dough bowl in the microwave with a mug of hot water to create a warm proofing environment for the first and second rise.
- Create a shinier finish. Apply a second egg wash after 15-20 minutes of baking for a super shiny, bakery-worthy Challah bread recipe.
- Cool completely. It’s tempting to dig in right away, but trust me! The bread will finish baking and set as it cools. Slicing before then can cause a gummy, slightly uncooked center.
FAQs
My family and I typically enjoy this bread on its own as an appetizer with our meals. However, it also makes fabulous French toast, freezer breakfast sandwiches, and bread pudding.
Leftover bread will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes, I like to top my loaves with sesame seeds or poppy seeds for a little extra crunch. You can also try adding a bit of cinnamon to the dough, or fold in raisins, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips before braiding.
Yes! You can mix and knead this challah bread recipe entirely by hand. It just takes a little extra elbow grease to bring the dough together and work the gluten until it’s smooth and elastic.
A few things.
1. Make sure you didn’t miss any ingredients or steps (I’ve forgotten the salt, you’re not alone, haha).
2. Check your yeast and make sure it’s fresh.
3. Make sure it’s in a dark space/that’s humid. Use my microwave tip if needed. Especially in the cooler months.
4. Lastly… This recipe is fairly forgiving so if it didn’t double, still bake it! It’ll likely be great, just a bit less fluffy.
Whole Wheat Challah
Note: You can use whole wheat flour for the first two cups of bread flour only. Use bread flour for the rest of the 5 cups.
Challah Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 4 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup honey
- 1¾ cups hot tap water
- 2 cups bread flour
- ¾ cup oil avocado oil is my preference. Also melted butter is wonderful, though not parve
- 3 large eggs
- 5 cups bread flour
- 1 egg for egg wash
- Sesame seeds poppy seeds, etc. (optional, for topping)
Instructions
Activate Yeast:
- In your stand mixer, combine the yeast, salt, honey, and hot tap water. Stir and let sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate.2 tablespoons active dry yeast, 4 teaspoons salt, ½ cup honey, 1¾ cups hot tap water
Form Initial Gluten:
- Add the 2 cups of bread flour and beat for a couple of minutes (I use the paddle attachment). This begins gluten formation, which is essential for the texture of the challah.2 cups bread flour
Add Wet Ingredients:
- Add the oil and eggs. Beat for another minute or two until well combined.¾ cup oil, 3 large eggs
Add Bread Flour:
- Switch to the bread hook attachment. Mix in 2 cups of the bread flour flour and continue to beat for about a minute. Gradually add more flour, about 1 cup at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. You’ll typically use 5 cups total.5 cups bread flour
Knead the Dough:
- Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
First Rise:
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap (or shower caps), and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Tip: Place the dough bowl in the microwave with a mug of hot water to create a warm proofing environment.)
Second Knead & Shape:
- Punch down the dough and knead again briefly on a floured surface. Divide into two (or more depending on how many you’re making) large or 3–4 smaller portions and shape into braids for challah.
Braiding Challah: (p.s. many videos can be found online of this process or see the step by step photos in this post)
- Roll out 3 strands, the same size.
- Connect the dough strands together at the top end. Then spread the strands apart.
- Like braiding hair, place the right strand over the middle, then the left over middle (or vice versa). Doesn’t matter which side you start on. As the outside strand moves over the middle, you’ll notice that you are creating a new middle.
- Continue down until you run out of strand and press the ends together and fold them under.
Second Rise & Glaze:
- Place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let rise for about 30 minutes. Then, before baking, brush with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water) and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.1 egg, Sesame seeds
Bake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped. (Optional: Apply a second egg wash after 15–20 minutes for a shinier finish.) Let cool completely before slicing, wrapping, or storing.
Thanks so much for sharing this special family recipe! I’m not Jewish, but my first job was owned by the loveliest Jewish people and they would supply fresh challah and kosher butter every Friday, one of my favorite memories. I split the dough into 4 loaves and made one plain, one sesame, one cinnamon sugar and the last Nutella. Will definitely be making these often 😁