Challah isn't any more difficult than any other bread. Learn the basics of braiding your own sourdough challah for a gorgeous holiday bread.
Whenever I think of spring, I think of a little ditty my aunt had on her answering machine growing up. “Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, but I don't know where the Garsides is! Please leave a message and we’ll get back to you!” Remember when we could only leave messages and not text or email?! Wild times, friends.
By no means am I an authentic or beautiful challah baker but what I am is good at making sourdough challah! This makes one massive loaf - perfect for sharing! You could make two smaller ones if that worked better for your family.
Got leftovers? I love to slice it up thick and cover my entire Blackstone griddle with French toast for the family. You can also cube it up in a baked French toast or your favourite bread pudding recipe. Another slightly enriched sourdough option is hot cross buns - not just for Easter!
Why You Need This Recipe
- It's no more difficult than a regular loaf of sourdough.
- The enriched loaf stays fresh for days!
- It's a huge loaf - perfect for holidays or gatherings.
Key Ingredients
Starter - I like to use a good amount of active starter to balance the eggs and butter.
Milk - I highly recommend milk here, as it's even more fat and sugar to enrich your bread. You can substitute water for part or all of it if necessary though.
Eggs - Yup 3 eggs. Again, this is what helps the challah have the perfect crumb inside.
Butter - Homemade or not, this and the egg yolks give the bread a beautiful colour.
Seeds - It may not always be typical, but I love topping mine with an egg wash and sesame seeds because it just really makes it beautiful.
How to Make Sourdough Challah
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Crack your eggs into the milk and melt the butter, then combine with sugar.
Step 2: Add the flour and let it come together into a cohesive dough, and rest it for a bit to hydrate.
Step 3: Now knead it into a smooth bowl and let sour and raise for 6 or so hours.
Step 4: Let's braid! I promise it's as easy as braiding your hair.
Step 5: Once braided and the ends tucked under, let it proof again for several hours.
Step 6: Add an egg wash and seeds if you'd like, and bake until golden on top.
Tips and Tricks
- An egg wash adds a great colour on top, so I recommend using it even if you aren't using it to "glue" seeds on top.
- Split this into two loaves before shaping if you prefer a smaller loaf so you can freeze or gift the second.
- This stays fresh on the counter for days due to the eggs and milk!
FAQs
It's really quite as simple as a three strand braid you do on your kids. Just pinch the end to start and have at it, tucking the end under. You can also absolutely look up fancier 5-strand braids on YouTube. I just prefer to get 'er done and do a 3 strand I can do in my sleep.
Nothing is worse than slicing into a loaf of bread that's raw and doughy in the center. Since everyone's oven is different, I treat bread, especially sourdough, like meat. You want to take the temperature of the center of the loaf and aim for 185-190°F.
While some of my sourdough loaves I give instructions for a slow, cold rise in the fridge, I don't do that with my challah. It has a lot of butter in the dough, and I think the cold firms it back up too much and actually inhibits the texture. So this one is best to either start first thing in the morning, or let the dough rest 8 hours overnight before shaping and baking. However - the bread itself is perfectly fine to be made a day in advance!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Sourdough Recipes
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Sourdough Challah Bread
Ingredients
- 300 grams sourdough starter
- 3 large eggs
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 100 grams butter
- 100 grams warm water or milk
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
Egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- Sesame seeds or poppyseeds optional
Instructions
- Mix starter, eggs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Melt butter in a pan, add milk if you're using to warm it up. Add the butter, water/milk to the starter mix and mix well.
- Add in the flour. Remember if it feels wildly wrong, the humidity where you live CAN affect these things so it should be a nice cohesive dough in the end but for now, mix it until it just comes together. Let it rest 20-30 minutes to hydrate, then knead well to make a smooth supple dough.
- Let rise until doubled, about 6-8 hours, then it's time to shape!
Shaping
- There are many ways to braid it and YouTube will give you tips on that...I like a simple three strand braid.
- Divide the dough into 3, and roll each into a log 18-24” long. “Seam” them together at one end and then start braiding like you're braiding hair. Outside to the inside, then from the other side, outside to the inside...when you get to the end, pinch them together and tuck them under.
- Place on a baking sheet, cover with a damp tea towel, and let rest until at least 1.5x original size, or about 2-3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If you would like to, add an egg wash and sprinkle with seeds. Beat the egg with water and brush over the top of the loaf. Sesame or poppy seeds make it beautiful!
- Bake for 20 minutes, turn it around and then bake another 10 minutes. I always take the internal temp to be sure as ovens run different. You're aiming for 185-190°F.
Notes
- This bread is so enriched it will stay soft and fresh for days!
- You can also make two smaller loaves and freeze one. Keep in mine it will bake quicker so you will want to take the temperature sooner.
- I recommend using milk if you have it, as the fat and sugar content of it adds to the texture of the bread. Water will work since we are adding butter and sugar but I definitely prefer milk!
Sarah
The bread turned out great and it is an awesome way to use up eggs. Thanks for the recipe!