For years, my family relied on store-bought challah because we appreciated its convenience. But recently, I started making challah at home and quickly realized my version tastes better and is easy to make. You can top this challah with za’atar, sesame seeds, cinnamon, honey or anything else you fancy. I love the sweet taste of streusel and added a lot of it to my challah. The recipe yields two loaves, so you can enjoy the bread during Friday night dinner and save the leftovers for a tasty Sunday morning French toast.
Ingredients
Challah:
1 ½ cups warm water
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. yeast
4 ½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
Optional streusel topping:
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Splash of vanilla
About a ¼ cup vegetable oil
Directions
Challah:
- In a large bowl, mix together the water and honey. Add in yeast and give it a gentle swirl.
- After ten minutes, the mixture should be frothy. If not, pour out the mixture and start over.
- Add flour, sugar, vegetable oil and salt to the mixture. Knead the mixture into a dough.
- Grease a bowl with a bit of oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with a cloth.
- Let the dough rest for two hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make sure the dough has risen and braid it into your desired shape.
- Crack an egg into a small dish and whisk it into a smooth wash. Coat the braided dough with the egg wash.
- Optional: Add streusel or other toppings. (See streusel directions below.)
- Bake for 20–25 minutes.
Optional streusel topping:
- Combine flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and vegetable oil into a small mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the topping onto the dough before baking.