Homemade Challah Bread Step By Step

While this recipe does take time, most of that is hands-off proofing time! Made with basic pantry staples, the dough itself is so easy to prepare.

What is Challah Bread?

Challah is a braided bread that is so delicious, yet so easy to prepare.

Made with pantry staples like honey and eggs, this slightly sweet bread is braided and brushed with an egg wash before being baked until the perfect golden brown color!

While it does take time to proof, this recipe takes little skill to make.

How To Make Challah Bread

This recipe works best with a stand mixer with a dough hook! You will also want a digital thermometer since you’re working with yeast and temperature is very important!

Prep – Using a stand mixer, prepare the dough (per recipe below) and transfer it to a greased bowl. Cover with a damp dishcloth to proof.
Braid – Make evenly sized dough strands and braid together. Place bread on a greased baking sheet.
Egg Wash – Brush with a prepared egg wash and let proof. Repeat once more.
Bake – Brush with a final coat of egg wash and bake!

To check for doneness, use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the bread has reached 190°F.

Delicious Additions

Mix-Ins: Add up to 1 cup of raisins, dried cherries, or other dried fruits to the dough. Just add it in with the eggs while preparing the dough!

Toppings: Top the bread with poppy seeds or sesame seeds after the final egg wash is applied and before baking, or leave it plain (which is perfect for French Toast).

How to Braid Challah

Braiding challah is the hardest part! To start, try a classic 3 strand braid. Once you have the hang of it try braiding in 4, 6, or even 8 strands for beautifully baked bread!

Divide the dough into equal portions (3, 4, 6, or 8 depending on what you have chosen).
Roll into evenly sized strips by working from the center and rolling with your hands, tapering the dough at the ends.
Secure one end of each dough strip together and braid.

I recommend doing a YouTube search for braiding Challah bread for the number of strips you chose. It’s good to have a visual guide to follow for this part.

Tips for the Perfect Loaf

While this dough is easy to prepare, there are a few helpful tips to remember for the perfect loaf every time!

The bread does not rise like a traditional sandwich bread recipe. It should double in size but it will not expand over the top of a large bowl. The dough gets most of it’s rise in the second round of proofing after it has been braided.
DO NOT skip the egg wash process. I know how tempting it might sound to just let it do the second proof all at once and just apply the egg wash right before baking, but the egg wash helps apply moisture to the dough which helps it rise and gives it the glossy topping Challah breads are known for!
If you like Challah bread heavy on the egg flavor, add 1 additional egg yolk to this recipe with no additional changes.

How To Serve Challah Bread

Challah bread is delicious on its own, and it’s even more when paired with honey butter or cinnamon butter.

Serve it alongside eggs in purgatory or with a plain poached egg.

It’s also a great bread to use to make homemade croutons, bread pudding, or French toast with!

To Freeze

Prepare the dough through the braiding process then freeze!

Place it on a baking sheet until frozen, then wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil until ready to use. To use, remove it from the freezer, unwrap immediately and place it on a baking sheet. Plan for it to take 6 to 8 hours for it to fully rise.

Challah bread can also be frozen by allowing it to cool completely before wrapping and freezing.

Easy Bread Recipes

Easy Beer Bread – no yeast required!
Homemade French Bread – made with pantry staples
Easy Banana Bread – classic quick bread recipe!
Irish Soda Bread – perfectly dense bread
Monkey Bread – sweet, sticky, and so easy to prepare

How did your Challah Bread turn out? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!