How to Make a 6-Braided Challah

Braid your own six-braid challah bread.

The six-braided challah remains a staple on Jewish tables for Sabbath, Rosh Hoshanah and other holiday meals. This bread symbolizes the manna that God provided for the children of Israel in the Old Testament. The symbolic bread is placed on the family table and covered with a decorative challah cloth to represent the dew that covered the Biblical manna. Eating the hearty, sweet challah bread marks the beginning of the Jewish Friday night meal for Sabbath. Braided challah bread remains the most prevalent style and is now enjoyed by peoples of all cultures.

Things You'll Need

• 5 lbs all-purpose flour
• 2 ounces fresh yeast
• 2 Tablespoons coarse salt
• 4 1/4 cups warm water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• Pastry brush
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Add the yeast to one cup of the warm water and stir in one tablespoon of sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until bubbles appear.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together 3 1/3 lbs flour, 3/4 cup oil, 1 1/3 cups sugar, 5 yolks, 3 1/4 cups warm water, the activated yeast and 2 tablespoons salt. Stir for 12 minutes or until the dough begins to hold together. Mix in the remaining 1 2/3 lbs flour.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place in a well-greased glass bowl. Cover and let rise for two to three hours in a place where the temperature is warmer than that of the room. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.

4. Separate the dough into four parts; use each part to make a separate six-braided challah. For one six-braided challah, cut one of the four sections into six parts. Roll the six sections of dough between your hands and the counter until it reaches a length of 12 inches.

5. Press the ends of the six strands of dough together at the top and separate the six strands out in groups of two, two your left, two to your right and two strands in the center.

6. Lift the left-center piece up and leave the right-center piece down. Lift up the right-center piece and the left-inner piece and with your other hand move the left-outer piece of dough underneath the two lifted pieces and into the center. Lay the two strands still in your hand down to the left.

7. Bring the left-center piece of dough(that was up) down to the center and lift the right-center piece of dough up. Take the left-center piece of dough and the inner-right piece of dough and lift them with one hand. With your other hand, move the outer-right piece of dough to the center and place the two strands of dough in your hand out to the right side. Lay the right-center piece of dough back down to the center.

8. Repeat this braiding technique until the strands of dough are braided to the ends. Tuck the ends of the strands of braided-dough underneath the loaf.

9. Place the six-braided challah in a well-greased loaf pan for 20 minutes to rise. After the loaf has risen, mix the egg yolks together and paint the six-braided challah. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the loaf.

10. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the top surface has reached a golden brown.

References

• My Jewish Learning: Challah: Claudia Roden
• Chabad.Org: Challah: Winner and Schwimmer: 2011

Resources

• Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Schwartz and Fink: 2008