The Perfect Challah

The complete guide to making the perfect challah.

Well, so where should we start?

First, you may be surprised to learn that this recipe is vegan, although those who wish to can still coat the challah with egg until golden.

Eggless challahs are typically tastier and become more airy over time.

Ingredients:

1 kilogram of flour
(bread flour or half Spelled Flour half bread flour)

2 tablespoons dry yeast

6 tablespoons of sugar – it’s not too sweet, so don’t worry

2.5 cups of cold water

1/3 cup of olive or any other oil you prefer

1.5 tablespoons of salt

For brushing and decorating (more preparation options):

1 egg yolk or 3 tablespoons of soy milk for a vegan version

1 tablespoon of silan, maple, or honey

3 tablespoons of water

Favorite toppings – sesame seeds, whole poppy seeds, bagel seasoning and more !

To prepare the dough, first add yeast, sugar, and water, and mix lightly.

You can add warm water but not boiled water!

Leave it for 5-10 minutes until the yeast starts to ferment and work.

After, add the flour and mix till it’s all in one piece (one dough) (like 4-5 minutes).

Sprinkle oil on the dough, add the salt, and mix (I prefer with my hands) for 10-12 minutes.

Be patient, as it may seem like the oil is not connecting to the dough, but keep kneading until the dough is soft and sticky.

Take the dough out onto a floured surface, form a ball, and grease the sides of a bowl with oil spray or just a little oil.

Let it rise outside until doubled in volume, something about an hour and a half.

Then, split the dough into the number of pieces you want to make the challahs. I usually divide them into 12 pieces so that I can make two challahs of 6.

Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Video included –

Increase the length of the strips from the middle with both hands to create an equal strip from two sides. If the dough resists, cover and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

The length of each strip should be about 50 cm or however long you prefer.

Then you make the braid as you wish !

For coating, beat egg yolk or soy milk for a vegan version with water and silan, and brush the dough generously. Alternatively, dust with flour or use any toppings you prefer.

Let the challah rest for 20-30 minutes, then bake in a preheated oven at 180-190 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

And voila !