Challah Recipes You Shouldn't Live Without (2024)

FAQs

What items can be made from challah dough? ›

Challah is different from regular white sandwich bread, french bread, or a baguette in that it is a type of enriched bread with added fat in the form of oil and eggs. It's very similar to a brioche dough, except that challah is made with oil instead of butter.

Challah and brioche bread are similar as both are enriched with eggs and fat, making them richer than other bread recipes. The main difference between the two recipes is that challah uses more eggs and less fat than brioche bread. Challah's fat source is oil, whereas brioche bread uses butter.

Myrna's original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, and you can substitute that here. But I find bread flour gives the challah a nice chew without making it tough, and also helps the braided loaf maintain its shape after baking. For some novice challah makers, that braid can seem like the hardest part.

Why? So the challah can be dipped right after the beracha is recited. The Mishnah Berurah (167:27) explains that dipping in salt or condiments makes the first bite tasty and adds honor to the beracha.

The dough, however, is forbidden to be eaten until the challah is separated. Therefore, challah is separated and burned, to assure that it will not be eaten.

On the eve of Shabbat, two loaves are placed on the table to reference the Jewish teaching that a double portion of manna fell from heaven on Friday to last through the Saturday Shabbat.

Challah bread has a Biblical history from the time of Moses in Exodus 16, where God instructed Moses to set aside a portion of each loaf and use it as an offering to local Jewish priests. Today this tradition is still upheld where a piece of bread is burnt inside the oven before the other bread is baked.

Babka is another braided white bread that is usually served with a cinnamon filling and syrup. But unlike challah, which includes eggs and oil, babka dough contains eggs, butter and milk, making it more airy, shiny and smooth.

For a solid French toast, aim for sturdy bread with a uniform texture and a soft crust. Hearty sandwich bread, brioche, challah, and shokupan (Japanese milk bread) are all great choices. Avoid rustic loaves with thick crusts or large holes in the interior.

What does the Hebrew word challah mean? ›

The term challah in Biblical Hebrew meant a kind of loaf or cake.

Is there any way to save challah dough that didn't rise? You can make focaccia or a flatbread or something similar.

Babka is an Ashkenazi specialty that was in all likelihood originally made from excess challah dough on the Sabbath.

Make sure the dough is in a large enough bowl or container and has plenty of room to rise, because it will. Refrigerate it overnight. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Braid it and let it do its second rise for 20 to 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.

It is often used as the bread for Shabbat or holiday meals.