Bread Machine Challah Recipe

Bread Machine Challah Recipe

In your bread machine, follow your bread machine instructions for "Dough Only" prepare the dough using:

22 oz Bread flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (Keep white for wash)
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast


While waiting for the dough to be completed, warm an oven to 150F and turn it off, warm a large bowl, and oil it well.
Take dough out of bread machine and place it in the warm, oiled bowl.
Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and then with a clean kitchen towel.
Let it rise in a warm, draught-free place (like the warmed, open oven) about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.

Prepare an egg wash by beating the reserved egg white with a tablespoon of water

Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside (I usually forget this step but ill effects have not yet occurred.

Punch down and braid as follows:

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 2 pieces, one roughly half size of other.

Divide large piece into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into rope, about 1 inch in diameter.
Line up ropes of dough side by side and pinch ends together, braid, then pinch ends together. Place braid on baking sheet.
Divide the smaller piece of dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into rope
as long as the first ropes, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Braid together, pinching the ends together to seal.
Brush some of egg wash on top of large loaf and place the small braid on the larger braid.

Or braid it any way you like!

Loosely drape loaf with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until loaf becomes puffy and increases in size by a third, 30 to 45 minutes.
(or, freeze and remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.)

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. (190 F on instant read thermometer)

Allow to cool on a rack.

Timing (for my machine):
Prepare ingredients: 15 Min
Dough: 2 Hr 20 min
Rise: 1 Hr 30 min
Braid: 15 min
Rise: 30-45 min
Bake: 25 min
Cool down: 15 min

So, start about six hours before your guests arrive!

This recipe is derived from several others that I have have read, modified as I go for every mistake I made. I suspect that the exact quantities may or may not be important - recipes I studied vary widely in their proportions. The process above gives a nice yeasty, moist loaf that pulls off in satisfying long strips. If you prefer a more cake-like challah, the Cook's Illustrated recipe may be more to your liking - I did not like it.