How to Bake a 4-Strand Challah Bread Loaf

Make honey challah for dinner tonight to bring an age old Jewish tradition into your home. Create a 4-strand challah loaf that impresses your friends and family. All it takes is a simple weaving technique to make 4-strand challah bread look bakery fresh.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Divide the challah dough in half. Set one-half aside. Divide the remaining dough into 4 even pieces. Weigh each piece to see if all are roughly equal weight. Transfer dough from the heavier pieces to the lighter ones until all 4 pieces of dough weigh roughly the same.

2. Roll each strand into a ball on a lightly floured work surface. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 10 minutes. Roll each ball of dough into a long rope with tapered ends-thinner on the ends and thicker in the middle. Strive for at least 12-inch dough ropes. Some recipes call for 20-inch ropes.

3. Line up the challah strands. Securely pinch the dough together at one tapered end to attach the 4 strands.

4. Spread the strands out on your work surface while keeping them attached at one end. Lift the far left or right strand; you can weave from either direction. Weave the strand over the strand next to it. Keep the same strand in your hand and weave it under the next strand of dough. Finally, weave it over the last strand. Place the strand of dough on your work surface. It is now on the opposite side of the loaf from where you started.

5. Pick up the dough strand that is now the far piece. Start from the same direction throughout the weaving process. Weave your new strand over the strand next to it, under the following strand and over the final strand. Place the weaving strand on your work surface. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until the entire length of challah dough is braided.

6. Pinch the braided strands of challah dough together at the tapered end of all 4 strands. Tuck both pinched ends under the loaf of bread.

7. Place the bread on your baking sheet and cover with plastic. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes. Bake according to recipe instructions.

[miag]

on 8/31/2009 Please make the video available - the whole series used to be be on www.expertvillage.com

[freshwriting]

on 7/7/2009 This is a brilliant recipe! Thank you so much for creating this ehow article...I am currently making bread for my girlfriend, so this will definitely come in handy. Thanks!

-Fresh Writing