Challah is a special braided bread eaten by Jewish families every Friday night and Saturday during Shabbat, the weekly day of rest. More than just food, challah is a symbol of joy, togetherness, and tradition. It is made from a rich, slightly sweet dough made with eggs, oil, sugar, and flour. The dough is enriched (meaning it has fat and sugar), which gives it a soft, fluffy texture and golden color. After rising, the dough is divided into strands, braided (sometimes with three, four, or six strands), then brushed with an egg wash, and sometimes seeds, to create a shiny crust once baked.

Last Friday (4/25/25), JSA hosted a celebration where students could make Challah. They learned how to braid the dough, then got to take it home and bake it. Students also played bingo and ate coconut macaroons. Fun was had by all, and the challah was delicious. Below is a recipe.

Ingredients 

I prefer to do all of my baking measurements using mass, because volume can be imprecise. I included baker’s percentages so the recipe can be scaled up or down. 

Ingredient	Baker’s %	Weight	Volume
All-purpose flour	100 %	500 g	about 4 cups
Instant yeast	1.4 %	7 g (1 packet)	—
Granulated sugar	10 %	50 g	¼ cup
Salt	2 %	10 g	1 tsp
Water (lukewarm)	48 %	240 g	1 cup
Large eggs	20 %	100 g (2 eggs)	—
Neutral oil (canola)	10 %	50 g	2 Tbsp
Egg (for wash)	—	1 large	—
Sesame or poppy seeds Directions	—	optional	—

In a large bowl (or stand-mixer bowl), whisk flour, yeast, sugar, and salt until evenly distributed. Crack in both eggs, then pour in the lukewarm water and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon (or by hand) until no dry flour remains. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead ~8 minutes until smooth, slightly tacky, and elastic. Oil the bowl, return the dough, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let proof in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour. Then braid it (see diagram.)

• Gently deflate and turn onto a lightly floured work surface.
  
• Divide into three equal pieces (~200 g each).

• Roll each into a 14–16″ rope, then pinch the tops together and braid:
  

1. Right strand over center
   
2. Left strand over center
   
3. Repeat until loaf is braided; pinch and tuck the ends underneath.

Place braid into an oiled loaf pan; cover loosely and let rise ~30–45 minutes, until puffy. Preheat oven to 350° F, and brush the top of the loaf with an egg. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is a nice golden color and firm to the touch. Let cool and enjoy.