How to Braid a Six Braid Challah

Challah is a sweet bread.

Challah bread is an egg- and flour-based sweet bread that is traditionally eaten as part of the Sabbath and holiday meals in the Jewish faith. The yeast dough is separated into sections -- traditionally four or six -- which are rolled cylindrically and then braided together. The braided dough is then egg washed and baked to a golden-brown. Braiding challah bread is a straightforward process of repeating the same steps until you reach the end of the loaf. Does this Spark an idea?

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Challah bread dough
Flour

Instructions

- 1
  
  Make challah bread dough according to your recipe and let it rise as directed.
- 2
  
  Sprinkle some flour on a flat work surface. Remove the dough from its container and punch it down.
- 3
  
  Separate the dough into six even pieces. Use your hands to roll the dough out into long, thin, cylindrical shapes of the same length (around 12 in.). Dust your work surface as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
- 4
  
  Lay the cylinders of dough side-by-side. Pinch the ends of all six strands of dough that are farthest from you together tightly. Spread the dough strands out into a fan shape.
- 5
  
  Number the strands of dough in your head (1 through 6 going left to right). Take the dough strand that is on the far right (strand 6) and lay it across the next two strands to the left of it (strands 4 and 5). Pick the strand immediately to the left of the strand that you just laid down (strand 3) and lay it over the first strand (strand 6). Take the strand you started with (strand 6) and place it over the two strands on the far left (strands 1 and 2); this method is known as the "over two, under one and over two" method of braiding.
- 6
  
  Repeat Step 5 for all remaining braids; you will still have the dough in a fan shape but now have an initial braid at the top of the dough. Reset the numbers of the strands in your head (1 through 6 going left to right) and repeat the braiding process with all remaining strands until you get to the end. Pull on the dough as you get to the end to make it more pliable to work with for your final braids.
- 7
  
  Pinch each end of the dough together and tuck them under the braided dough. Bake as directed in your recipe.