Katie was getting into the holiday spirit recently when she decided to whip up a delicious baked treat. But instead of Christmas cookies, she reached out to chef Jake Cohen to bake up a Jewish classic that’s pretty much mandatory at weekly Shabbat dinners. It’s challah — that ultra-pillowy bread that goes beautifully with soup and salad or makes some pretty mind-blowing next-morning French toast. Is your mouth watering? Ours, too.
Watch Katie and Jake baking up this braided stunner:
Ready to try it for yourself? Just follow the recipe below!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water, heated to 115 degrees F
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- One 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
- 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 large eggs
- 5 1/2 to 6 cups (743 to 810 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. assorted seeds, such as sesame, fennel, poppy, nigella, and/or cumin, for garnish
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the sugar to dissolve, then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, honey and 3 of the eggs, then whisk on medium speed until incorporated.
2. Switch to the dough hook. Add 5 1/2 cups flour and the kosher salt to the mixture in the bowl and, beginning on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes. (Your dough will be tacky but shouldn’t be sticky. If it’s sticky, mix in additional flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until tacky.) Transfer to a lightly floured work surface with floured hands and continue to knead by hand, dusting with flour as needed, until a very smooth ball forms, another 3 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, if you make this dough entirely by hand, it will require about 10 minutes of kneading on a clean work surface after incorporating the flour.)
3. Grease a medium bowl and your hands with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and add the dough ball, turning gently to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
4. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each into a long rope, about 18 inches in length and slightly thicker at the center and thinner at both ends. Lay out all the ropes vertically, then link the top of each rope and pinch together to seal, tucking the sealed end under itself slightly.
5. Take the outer two ropes and cross them over each other to switch places, crossing the rope from the right under the rope from the left. Take the farthest rope on the right and cross it over to be in the middle (with 3 ropes on the left of it and 2 ropes on the right). Then, take the second rope from the left and cross it all the way to the far right. Now, take the farthest rope to the left and move it to the middle (with 2 ropes on the left of it and 3 ropes on the right). Take the second rope from the right and cross it all the way to the far left. Repeat this process until there are no more ropes to braid, then pinch the ends and tuck them under the end of the challah. Using your hands, carefully transfer the challah to a parchment-lined sheet pan, placing it on a diagonal.
6. Beat the remaining egg and brush liberally on the challah. Let the challah rise again, uncovered, until doubled in volume, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the challah again with the remaining beaten egg, then sprinkle with the seeds and a heavy pinch of flaky salt.
8. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the challah is golden brown and has reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing. Serve the challah the same day you bake it.
Cook’s Note
I love serving up one ornate challah at Shabbat, but if you’re keen on serving two for tradition, you can easily split this dough in half before dividing it into balls, rolling and braiding. The loaves can be baked on the same half sheet pan—just be sure to space them at least 4 inches apart.
