Basic Challah Bread Loaf
One Sarcastic Baker recipe - American
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 Cups AP Flour ((500 g / 18 oz))
- 1 TBS Dry yeast ((10 g / 0.3 oz))
- 2 TBS Sugar ((25 g / 1 oz))
- 2 TBS Vegetable oil
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 1/4 Cup Lukewarm water
- 1 large Egg, well beaten for egg wash
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl or a bowl of a standing mixer sift the flour then add yeast, sugar, salt, oil, and egg.
- 2
Drizzle in 1 cup of water and using a wooding spoon (or your hands) mix the ingredients into a shaggy mass.
- 3
Remove any access dough from the wooden spoon and keep kneading the dough with your hands until soft and smooth. About 5-7 minutes.
- 4
Place the dough back in the bowl, spray with oil spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plastic bag.
- 5
Allow the dough to rest and rise for about 3-4 hours.
- 6
Remove dough from the bowl and release air. Divide dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 12" log.
- 7
Braid 2 challahs and place each challah in a greased 8" loaf pan.
- 8
Brush loaves with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds and let rest and rise for about 3-4 hours.
- 9
Preheat oven to 400F and bake loaves for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and keep baking for an additional 25 minutes.
- 10
Remove from the oven and remove loaves from the pan. Place on a cooling rack.