“Virtually fail-proof recipe designed for ease of preparation and maximum flavor. NOT sweet, but may be sweetened by using 1/2 cup sugar instead of 1/4 cup.” - by Sy Dolnick
Ingredients
Adjust Servings
Original recipe yields 2 - 1 1/2 pound loaves
Directions
- Place sugar, salt, and oil in either a mixing bowl for an electric mixer with a dough hook or any large bowl. Add hot water, and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Stir in yeast, and let stand until mixture gets foamy. Add slightly beaten eggs.
- If using an electric mixer, add 4 1/2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Mix until flour is mixed in, and dough gets stringy. This stringiness indicates that the gluten has developed. Continue to add flour until dough is all on dough hook; 1 or 2 cups is usually sufficient. Let hook continue to knead for several minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic. To knead by hand, stir 4 1/2 cups of flour in to the yeast mixture. Turn soft dough onto lightly floured surface, and work in 1 to 2 cups of flour. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Place dough into a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat the surface. Cover bowl with a damp cloth. Let dough rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down after first rising, and allow to rise a second time. The first rising is about 1 hour, the second about 45 minutes. Two risings makes for a better bread, but if time is a problem just do one.
- Divide dough in half, and divide each half into three or four equal parts. Make two braids, and place both breads on a greased baking sheet. Cover, and allow to rise until doubled. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes until golden brown. Allow loaves to cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Amount Per Serving (24 total)
- Calories
- 158 cal
- 8%
- Fat
- 3.6 g
- 6%
- Carbs
- 26.3 g
- 8%
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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Reviews (67)
Rate This Recipe
"Alright. Here's the deal. I've made challah a bunch on times, mostly using James Beard's recipe from "Beard on Bread"--a must read for the aspiring baker--and it never came out tasting this good. V..." See moreirtually fail-proof... The dough turns out smooth, kneading was a pleasure. I used rapid rise yeast, yet Sy's estimated rising times still held (although I always recommend just eyeballing it instead of sticking to a rigid timetable). A little extra sugar for my tastes (probably about 1/3 cup instead of 1/4) made this bread sweet, but not a "sweet bread." I had it with my eggs this morning. I would advise you give the braided loaves all the time they need to really double in bulk. I thought my bread was ruined because right when I was ready to put it in the oven, some sensor inside the stove failed and it would not get hot. Luckily my aunt lives nearby and I drove the loaves over. So it probably rose an extra 25 minutes over what I anticipated, and there was no yeasty smell or taste to the finished product which has happened to me before with overrising. And I don't know what people did wrong to get a poor crumb. The texture of this bread is impeccable. And remember, challah is meant to be torn, not cut! BAKE IT. EAT IT. LOVE IT. "
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