I promise this challah with honey recipe is easier to make than you think. The end result is deliciously soft and tender eggy yeast bread.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Total Time3 hourshrs40 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bread
Servings: 2large loaves
Calories: 165kcal
Ingredients
2.5cupswarm water
1tablespoonRed Star rapid-rise yeast
1/2cuphoney
3eggs
4tablespoonskosher olive oil (Pompeian)
1tablespoonkosher or sea salt
7cupsbread flourwith an additional 1 to 2 cups for kneading
Egg Wash
1egg
2tbspwater
Instructions
Place warm water in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over top. Stir and allow to sit for five minutes. After five minutes, if there are bubbles on top, proceed with the recipe. If there are no bubbles, wait until you can purchase new yeast.
2.5 cups warm water, 1 tablespoon Red Star rapid-rise yeast
To the active yeast mixture add honey, oil, eggs, and salt. Stir with a whisk until well combined. Add in 4 cups of flour and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until mixed in.
Add the remaining 3 cups of flour and stir until flour is incorporated and the dough is stiff.
7 cups bread flour
Sprinkle a clean surface with one cup of flour. Turn dough out onto this and sprinkle more flour on top. Knead with both hands for ten minutes, adding more flour to spots that become too sticky to knead. After ten minutes, place the dough in a bowl and cover it with a clean cloth. Allow it to rise for 1.5 hours.
After 1.5 hours, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle a little more flour over the top and knead the dough again for about five minutes.
Separate the dough into two portions and then separate each portion into three smaller portions (this is for a three-strand braid). Roll each portion into a rope. It doesn't matter how long the rope is as long as you make sure each of the ropes is about the same size. Mine usually end up being 12-15 inches.
Pinch three ropes together at one end and then braid them, pinching them together at the other end when done. Fold the ends under the loaf to hide them, leaving a pretty braided dough. Place this carefully onto a greased baking sheet and repeat with the other loaf.
Spray the loaves lightly with cooking spray (preferably kosher olive oil) and cover loosely with cling wrap or waxed paper. Then, cover all of this with a towel. Set aside and allow to rise for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, beat egg and water together. Uncover risen bread and brush with egg wash. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush crevices on top of the bread with egg wash again. Return to oven and bake for 20-25 more minutes, or until bread is dark golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
1 egg, 2 tbsp water
Allow it to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container or serving it warm.
Video
Notes
Thanks to Amy Stratton in my Front Porch Fellowship group for the tip on brushing it a second time with the egg wash.