Easy Water Challah

Eat challah bread with butter or jam.

Challah, a Jewish bread eaten on Shabbat and other holidays except Passover, usually contains eggs as a primary ingredient. Water challah contains primarily flour and water; unlike traditional challah, it contains no eggs.

History

The term challah comes from the Hebrew word for "portion," referring to the amount of bread historically set aside for the Jewish priests every Sabbath. Kosher bakers today still set aside a small amount of dough from challah bread to burn in the oven, wrapped in tinfoil, while making a blessing.

Ingredients

The ingredients to make water challah include water, flour, yeast, salt, oil and sugar. While the bread does not contain eggs, some bakers use an egg wash to glaze the challah. Certain recipes call for seltzer water instead of regular water to make the bread lighter in texture.

Considerations

The process of making traditional egg challah can take several days to allow the dough to rise. You can prepare water challah without some of these steps, making it an easier recipe. Less sweet than egg challah, water challah has a crusty outside and soft inside.

References

• Jewish Foods: What is Challah?
• Orthodox Union: Water Challah
• Astray Recipes: Water Challah
• Judaism 101: Jewish Cooking
• My Jewish Learning: Challah
• Chow Hound: Best Challah in NYC?