Traditional Challah Recipe: The Braided Bread of the Sabbath Table

Active time: ~40 minutes | Total time: ~4 hours (including rising) | Serves: 16 (2 loaves) | Difficulty: Moderate

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Quick Overview

1. Start the yeast in lukewarm water with a little sugar
2. Beat eggs, oil, honey, sugar and salt, then work in the flour
3. Knead to a soft, smooth dough and let it rise until doubled
4. Braid two loaves, or coil a round loaf for Rosh Hashanah
5. Glaze with egg and bake until deep golden

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What Challah Is

Challah is the braided egg bread of the Jewish Sabbath. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes it as a yeast bread made from flour, eggs, oil and a sweetener such as sugar or honey, usually braided and glazed with egg before baking.¹ The fat is oil, so there is no butter or milk in the dough.

On Friday evening, as Shabbat begins, two loaves are set on the table for the double portion of manna the Israelites received before the Sabbath in the wilderness. They stay under a cloth, a reminder of the dew that lay on the manna, until the blessing over wine has been said. Then the bread is blessed, uncovered and shared.^1,2

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History and Cultural Roots

The name comes from the Torah, which tells the Israelites to set aside the first portion of their dough. In Temple times that piece went to the priests.^1,4 After the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, the custom changed: a small piece of dough is still separated, and it is burned instead.³

The braided loaf itself is a later, Ashkenazi development. A food historian cited by Aish traced it to southern Germany in the 1400s.³ Before that, the Sabbath bread was called berches, a name some Jews still use. From Germany, Austria and Bohemia the bread traveled east with Jewish communities into Poland and Eastern Europe.² Other communities kept their own Sabbath breads; in Yemen it was lachoch, a flat bread fried in a pan.⁴

On the Holiday Table

Challah is the bread of holidays too, and the shape changes with the calendar. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it is usually baked as a round loaf,^1,2 and many families keep round loaves on the table through Sukkot until Simchat Torah.⁴ On Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot, the meal traditionally begins with a whole round challah sprinkled with salt and dipped in honey.⁵ On Shavuot, a pair of oval loaves set side by side recalls the tablets of the Ten Commandments.¹ The one holiday without challah is Passover, when no leavened bread is eaten.¹ The recipe below gives both shapes, the braid and the round coil; the round loaf is part of our Rosh Hashanah menu.

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Traditional Challah Recipe

This recipe was compiled by Heritage Healthy Kitchen from a comparison of published recipes; the sources are listed at the end of this article. Figures that are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s own estimates rather than taken from a published source are marked as such.

Published recipes for one or two loaves use about 480–560g (4–4½ cups) of flour with 2–3 eggs, 55–80g of oil, about 1½–2 teaspoons of salt and a sweetener ranging from about 55g of sugar to 125g of honey; a recipe for two or three round loaves uses 7–8 cups of flour and 4 eggs.^6,7,8,9 The amounts below make two loaves and sit inside those proportions. The first rise takes anywhere from 30 minutes with rapid-rise yeast to 2–3 hours, and the loaves bake at 175–190°C (350–375°F) for 25–35 minutes.^6,7,8,9 The number of servings is Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s estimate.

Ingredients (makes 2 loaves, serves 16)

For the dough

• 14g (2 packets, about 4½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 355ml (1½ cups) lukewarm water
• 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 110ml (½ cup) neutral vegetable oil, such as canola or sunflower, plus a little for the bowl
• 42g (2 tablespoons) honey
• 15g (2½ teaspoons) fine salt
• 900g–1kg (7–8 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

For the topping

• 1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash
• Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Start the yeast. Stir the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into the lukewarm water and leave it for about 10 minutes, until it froths.⁸
2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, lightly beat the 4 eggs. Beat in the rest of the sugar, the oil, honey and salt, then the yeast mixture.⁸
3. Add the flour. Add the flour a cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should still be soft and a little sticky.⁷
4. Knead. Knead for 5–7 minutes in a stand mixer on medium-low speed, or for up to about 15 minutes by hand, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add only as much extra flour as you need to handle it.^7,8
5. First rise. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it once to coat, cover and leave it in a warm place for about 1½–2 hours, until doubled.^6,7,8
6. Shape. Punch the dough down and divide it in half. For braided loaves, divide each half into 3, 4 or 6 pieces, roll each into a rope about 50cm (20 inches) long and braid, tucking the ends underneath. For a round loaf, roll a half into one rope about 38cm (15 inches) long, hold one end up about 5cm (2 inches) above the work surface and wind the rest of the rope around it into a coil, then pinch the end to hold it.^6,7,9
7. Second rise. Set the loaves well apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely and leave them for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until visibly puffy.^6,8,9
8. Egg wash and bake. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Brush the loaves with the beaten egg, getting it into the crevices of the braid, and sprinkle with seeds if using. Bake for 25–35 minutes, until deep golden; the bottom should sound hollow when tapped, and the center should read 88–93°C (190–200°F).^6,7,8,9
9. Cool. Move the loaves to a rack and let them cool before slicing.^6,7

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Kitchen Tips

A soft, slightly sticky dough is what gives challah its tender crumb, so don’t keep adding flour while you knead.⁷ If the dough is too sticky to handle at all, about 30g (¼ cup) more flour is enough.⁶

If the ropes keep shrinking back as you roll them, cover them and let them rest for about 10 minutes, then roll again.⁶

If the bottoms of the loaves brown too fast, bake them on two baking sheets stacked one on top of the other; the extra layer keeps the bottom from getting too dark.⁷

A round loaf for the New Year often has raisins in it. One published recipe uses about 1 cup of raisins to 7–8 cups of flour.⁹ For this dough that comes to about 150g for both loaves, or about 75g for one round loaf. Knead them in before you roll the rope.

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Looking for a Lighter Version?

Our Healthy Challah recipe keeps the braid, the honey and the method, replaces half the flour with white whole wheat flour, and uses less sugar, less oil and fewer egg yolks.

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Nutritional Information

Per serving (1 slice, one-sixteenth of the two loaves):

• Calories: approximately 300–365 kcal
• Protein: 8–9g
• Total fat: 8–10g, of which saturated about 1g
• Carbohydrates: 49–60g
• Fiber: about 2g
• Cholesterol: 50–65mg
• Sodium: 350–425mg

Nutritional values are estimates based on standard ingredient databases (USDA FoodData Central). They vary with the amount of flour and with how thickly the loaves are sliced.

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Storage and Reheating

Keep cooled challah well wrapped or in a sealed bag at room temperature for a few days; it starts to dry out after about a day.^6,7

For longer storage, wrap a cooled loaf tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature for at least 3 hours.⁷ To get ahead, the braided, unbaked loaf can wait in the refrigerator overnight; give it about an hour at room temperature before it goes into the oven.⁷

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there two loaves of challah on the Shabbat table?
They stand for the double portion of manna the Israelites received before the Sabbath during their years in the wilderness, so that they would not have to gather food on the day of rest. The cloth over the loaves recalls the dew that lay on the manna.^1,2

Why is challah round for Rosh Hashanah?
A round loaf has no beginning and no end, and it is read as a sign of continuity and of the cycle of the year.^1,2 Many families keep baking round loaves until Simchat Torah, at the end of Sukkot.⁴ The coil in the recipe above is one way to shape it.⁹

Is challah eaten on Passover?
No. Challah is a leavened bread, and leavened bread is not eaten on Passover or at the seder.¹

What does “taking challah” mean?
Before baking, a small piece of dough, about the size of an egg, is separated and burned.⁴ Only larger batches of dough require it, and the largest are separated with a blessing; sources give somewhat different amounts of flour for each.^3,4

How do I know the challah is done?
It should be deep golden on top and sound hollow when you tap the bottom.^8,9 An instant-read thermometer in the center should read 88–93°C (190–200°F).^6,7

Can challah be made ahead?
Yes. The braided loaf can go into the refrigerator overnight; let it stand at room temperature for about an hour before baking. Baked challah freezes for up to 3 months.⁷

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Further Reading & Sources

The recipe is a compilation based on the published recipes listed here; these links are provided for readers who want to explore further.

1. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Challah. Encyclopaedia Britannica (no date given). Challah as a yeast-leavened egg bread of flour, yeast, eggs, oil and a sweetener, usually braided and glazed with egg; two loaves on Friday evening for the double portion of manna; the cover as the dew on the manna; Kiddush, then the blessing over bread; the first portion of dough given to the priest; a round loaf for Rosh Hashanah; two oval loaves on Shavuot; not eaten on Passover because it is leavened.
2. Claudia Roden. What Is Challah? My Jewish Learning, reprinted from The Book of Jewish Food (Knopf; no date given). Two loaves for the two portions of manna; the white cover as the dew on the manna; the older name berches; the bread of Germany, Austria and Bohemia, taken to Poland, Eastern Europe and Russia as Jews migrated east; round loaves for Rosh Hashanah.
3. Yvette Alt Miller. What Is Challah?: Six Facts. Aish (published 10 November 2022, per page metadata). Food historian Gil Marks: the braided egg loaf arose in southern Germany in the 1400s; after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE the separated piece of dough is burned; the flour amounts at which challah is separated, with and without a blessing.
4. Yvette Miller. 11 Challah Facts Every Jewish Woman Should Know. Chabad.org (no date given). The separated dough given to the priests in Temple times; an egg-sized piece burned today; Yemenite lachoch, a flat bread fried in a pan; round loaves from Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah.
5. National Jewish Outreach Program. Hoshana Raba. NJOP (no author or date given). On Hoshana Rabbah the meal traditionally begins with a whole round challah sprinkled with salt and dipped in honey.
6. PJ Hamel. Classic Challah. King Arthur Baking (updated 23 October 2025). Published recipe, one loaf: 480–510g flour, 2 eggs and a yolk, 74g oil, 63g honey, 9g salt; first rise about 2 hours, second 60–90 minutes; 20-inch ropes, rested 10 minutes if they shrink; 375°F for 25–30 minutes to 190°F inside; several days at room temperature, or frozen. Whole wheat variation: rest the mixed dough 20 minutes before kneading.
7. Jennifer Segal. Challah. Once Upon a Chef (updated 10 September 2026). Published recipe, one loaf: 4¼ cups flour, 3 eggs and a yolk, 6 tablespoons each of oil and honey, 2 teaspoons salt; kneaded 5–7 minutes, sticky, without extra flour; rises 2–3 hours and 1–2 hours; egg wash into the crevices; 350°F for 25–35 minutes to 190–200°F inside, on two stacked baking sheets; frozen up to 3 months; braided loaf refrigerated overnight.
8. The Nosher. (26 April 2017). How to Make Challah. My Jewish Learning. Published recipe, two loaves: 4½ cups flour, 2 eggs, ¼ cup oil, ¼ cup sugar, ½ tablespoon salt; yeast left 10 minutes until it froths; kneaded about 15 minutes; rises 2–3 hours and 1 hour; 350°F for 25–30 minutes, hollow when tapped.
9. Tina Wasserman. Round Challah. ReformJudaism.org (no date given). Published recipe for two or three round loaves: 7–8 cups flour, 4 eggs, ¾ cup sugar; each piece rolled into a rope about 15 inches long and wound into a coil around one raised end; 375°F for 25–35 minutes; raisins customary in a round loaf. (Its fat is margarine or butter; it is cited here for the shape, rise and baking only.)

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Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Heritage Healthy Kitchen makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content on this site. Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on the specific ingredients, brands, and measurements used. This content is not intended as dietary, medical, or professional nutritional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any dietary needs or health conditions. Heritage Healthy Kitchen is not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use of recipes or information published on this site.

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