READY IN 3 hr

Sweet Challah

Read Reviews (14)

"This is a sweet bread that is really easy to make. It is so good that a 30-year-old man who was a guest at my Shabbat Table actually giggled when he ate it. The doughier you want the bread to be, the shorter you should bake it." — SuperRebbetzin

Directions

Mix the yeast, 1/3 cup of sugar, and warm water together in a large bowl, stir to dissolve the sugar, and let the mixture stand until a creamy layer forms on top, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of flour to make a loose sponge.
In a separate bowl, beat 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 cup of sugar together, and stir the egg mixture into the yeast-flour mixture until well combined. Continue mixing in flour, 1 cup at a time, up to 9 total cups. Dough should be slightly sticky, but not so wet that it leaves dough stuck to your hands.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 5 minutes to develop gluten. Form the dough into a compact round shape, and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over several times in the bowl to oil the surface of the dough, cover the bowl with a cloth, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and knead for another 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper. To make egg glaze, whisk together 1 egg, 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, and refrigerate until needed.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces, and cut each piece into 3 smaller pieces for a 3-strand braided loaf. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Place the loaves onto the prepared baking sheets, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. Brush a coating of egg glaze onto the tops of the bread, and reserve the remaining glaze.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and brush another coating of glaze onto the bread. Return to the oven, and bake until the tops are shiny and golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 1 hr
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 3 hrs

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 06, 2011

Amazing! ... If you like the sweeter version of classic challah. After all, who doesn't like the sound of more sugar? But if I could change one thing, don't let it rise too long otherwise the bread will lose its shape and turn into a blob of dough.

—Kaytee2011

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 09, 2009

This is good one

—Thiru

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14 Ratings

Jan 29, 2010

Tastes really good. I'm not very adept at braiding limp dough, so it looked odd. It does freeze well, though, so you could make it up ahead.

—hazel

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Jan 04, 2010

Used a lot less flour, maybe 2 1/2 cups less, just couldn't work it all in. Delicious, sweet, fairly easy to make! Thanks for sharing!

—Skookipri

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Oct 01, 2010

This bread is great and my family can't get enough! The instructions on braiding are very helpful and the bread comes out golden and beautiful every time.

—MoxyMolly

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Jan 01, 2012

Wonderfully sweet and fluffy. I added raisins soaked in brandy and it was the perfect yom teruah bread.

—Laura V.

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Oct 15, 2011

The recipe was outlined perfectly! (i'm not a huge bread maker and she described consistancy to perfection) my dough didn't double in size but it was a very nice dough to work with!

—Clydegirl

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Jul 21, 2012

Really great rich, sweet challah. I used canola oil, and it was wonderful, when I used olive oil it didn't come out as good. Add chocolate chips for some variety

—naomi z

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Nutrition

Calories
328 kcal
16%

Carbohydrates
57 g
18%

Cholesterol
53 mg
18%

Fat
7.5 g
12%

Fiber
1.6 g
7%

Protein
7.6 g
15%

Sodium
368 mg
15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Sweet Challah

Serving Size: 1/20 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 20
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 328
Calories from Fat: 67

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7.5g 12 %
Saturated Fat 1.4g 7 %
Cholesterol 53mg 18 %
Sodium 368mg 15 %
Potassium 90mg 3 %
Total Carbohydrates 57g 18 %
Dietary Fiber 1.6g 7 %
Protein 7.6g 15 %
Sugars 14g
Vitamin A 1 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 29 %
Thiamin 46 %
Niacin 40 %
Vitamin B6 3 %
Magnesium 5 %
Folate 68 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.