Ashkenazi

Challah

Name: Challah
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Ashkenazi
Ingredients: 1000 g All-purpose wheat flour; 30 g Yeast; 400 ml Water; 80 g Sugar; 15 g Salt; 100 ml Vegetable oil; 3 pcs Egg; 1 pcs Egg; 2 tbsp Sesame seeds

חַלָּהbarchesAwaiting expert review

Braided festive bread for Shabbat and holidays. A soft yeast dough with eggs and oil; parve, with no milk or butter.

Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 40 min
Cook: 35 min
Difficulty: moderate

Kashrut · pareve

Shabbat Rosh Hashanah

Ingredients

12

servings

Dough

1000 g All-purpose wheat flourKashrut: On Passover, wheat flour (other than matzah) is chametz. Some sift flour before use because of insects.
30 g Yeast, fresh (or 10 g dried)Kashrut: Not used on Passover.
400 ml Water, lukewarm
80 g Sugar
15 g Salt
100 ml Vegetable oilKashrut: In traditional practice it is bought with kosher certification. On Passover, Ashkenazi practice excludes oils from kitniyot (e.g. soybean, corn); rapeseed (canola) oil is disputed, and Passover certification decides.
3 pcs EggKashrut: Parve. In traditional practice eggs are cracked one at a time, and eggs with a blood spot are discarded.

Topping

1 pcs Egg, for brushingKashrut: Parve. In traditional practice eggs are cracked one at a time, and eggs with a blood spot are discarded.
2 tbsp Sesame seeds, or poppy seeds, optionalKashrut: On Passover, Ashkenazi practice classes it as *kitniyot*.

Method

Step 1: Dissolve the yeast in 100 ml of lukewarm water with a teaspoon of sugar and leave for 10 minutes to activate.
Step 2: Sift the flour into a bowl and add the remaining sugar and the salt. Pour in the yeast mixture, the rest of the water, the oil and 3 beaten eggs.
Step 3: Knead for 10–12 minutes into a smooth, elastic dough that does not stick to your hands. If it is too stiff, add a tablespoon of water; if it is sticky, add a little flour.
Step 4: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60–90 minutes, until doubled in volume.
Step 5: If you are separating challah, do it now, before dividing the dough.
Step 6: Divide the dough into two halves and each half into 3–6 equal pieces. Roll them into strands about 35 cm long and braid two loaves.
Step 7: Transfer the loaves to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover and let them proof for another 30–40 minutes.
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Brush the loaves with beaten egg, let it dry for 5 minutes and brush a second time; sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
Step 9: Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden. A finished challah sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Step 10: Let it cool on a wire rack; on Shabbat it is served covered with a cloth.

Tips

Brushing with egg twice gives a glossy, deep golden crust.
The dough can rise overnight in the fridge; let it come to room temperature for an hour before braiding.

History and origins

Bible

In the Torah the word challah חַלָּה denotes a portion of the dough that was given to the priest. This commandment (hafrashat challah) is still observed symbolically today by separating a small piece of dough; only later was the word transferred to the festive bread itself.¹

Minhag

Two loaves (lechem mishneh) are placed on the Shabbat table as a reminder of the double portion of manna that the Israelites gathered on Friday.²

HistoryAshkenazim⁂ To verify

The braided form made from a rich egg dough is typical of the Ashkenazi communities of Central and Eastern Europe; in German and some Central European areas the Shabbat bread was also called barches (berches).³

Regional variations

MinhagAshkenazim⁂ To verify

For Rosh Hashanah challah is traditionally baked round (often in a spiral), sometimes with raisins and honey; the circle is often interpreted as a symbol of the cycle of the year.

MinhagSephardimMizrahim⁂ To verify

Sephardi and Middle Eastern communities have their own festive breads, often unbraided and flavored with anise or sesame; the braided egg challah is primarily an Ashkenazi tradition.

Challah

Ingredients

Method

History and origins

Regional variations

Goes well with

Sources

Primary sources

Secondary literature