The best challah you’ll ever taste.¹

Challah (3 loaves)

Ingredients

1 Tbs yeast
1.5 C warm water
3 eggs
~5-6 cups flour (you can do all white, half-half, or 1/4 whole wheat)
1 TBs salt
1/3 C oil
1/2 C sugar

Steps

1. Mix and knead for ~10 min
2. Let rise for 1-3 hours in a warm place (it will about double)
3. Cut/rip into as many pieces as you want challahs, and then rip each of those into thirds
4. Stretch and braid three pieces into one loaf, pressing it together at the ends (you can do fancy stuff, I just vaguely shape the pieces into logs and do a simple braid)
5. Brush with egg (you just want to be covering the surface with fully mixed up yolk and white)
6. Add seeds/spices if desired (I like sesame and poppy, but also regularly put nigella, fennel or ajowain seeds or zaatar)
7. Let rise 30m if you want denser, ~1.5-2hrs if you want it super fluffy
8. Bake for ~30m @ 350º F until it’s nice and brown (if you want it a little doughier, take it out when the creases are still dough-colored, if you want it dryer, take it out when the whole surface is golden brown)