Challah
An egg-rich, oil-based plaited loaf that stays soft for days. Two thin coats of yolk glaze give the lacquered finish.
- Prep
- 35m
- Cook
- 30m
- Waiting
- 2h 45m
- Total
- 3h 50m
- Serves
- one large plaited loaf
- Effort
- Moderate
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 500 g | Knead 10 minutes to a smooth, faintly tacky dough 12m | Bulk prove 90 minutes until doubled 1h 30m | Divide into six, roll long strands, plait, and prove 1 hour 1h 15m Roll from the middle outwards so the strands taper at the ends. | Bake at 190°C / 375°F for 30 minutes, glazing a second time at the halfway mark 30m The second coat goes on when the first has set. It is what makes the loaf shine rather than streak. | |
| 200 g | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 50 g | |||||
| 60 g | |||||
| 7 g | |||||
| 9 g | |||||
| 1 | |||||
| 2 tbsp | |||||
-
Knead 10 minutes to a smooth, faintly tacky dough
12m- strong white bread flour 500 g
- water 200 g
- eggs 2
- caster sugar 50 g
- sunflower oil 60 g
- instant yeast 7 g
- fine salt 9 g
-
Bulk prove 90 minutes until doubled
1h 30m- from 1 Knead 10 minutes to a smooth, faintly tacky dough
-
Divide into six, roll long strands, plait, and prove 1 hour
1h 15m- from 2 Bulk prove 90 minutes until doubled
Roll from the middle outwards so the strands taper at the ends.
-
Bake at 190°C / 375°F for 30 minutes, glazing a second time at the halfway mark
30m- from 3 Divide into six, roll long strands, plait, and prove 1 hour
- egg yolk 1
- sesame or poppy seeds (optional) 2 tbsp
The second coat goes on when the first has set. It is what makes the loaf shine rather than streak.
Why oil, and why it keeps
Butter is roughly 16 per cent water and sets hard when cold, so a butter-rich crumb firms up overnight. Liquid oil coats the starch granules and stays liquid in the fridge, which is why challah is still soft on day three when a milk loaf has gone stale. The eggs contribute lecithin, a natural emulsifier that holds fat and water together in the dough, plus protein that sets into a tender, slightly springy crumb.
Notes
- A six-strand plait is easier than it looks. Outside right over two, far left to the middle, outside left over two, far right to the middle, repeat.
- Underprove the plait slightly. Fully proved challah loses its definition and the braid blurs in the oven.
- Stale slices make the best French toast of any bread, precisely because the crumb is already enriched.