[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":411},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:challah":3,"recipe:country:israel":182},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"romanized":7,"pronunciation":8,"countrySlug":9,"region":10,"emoji":11,"summary":12,"intro":13,"story":14,"whyThis":15,"tips":20,"substitutions":27,"variations":40,"serveWith":50,"storage":52,"faq":53,"equipment":69,"baseServings":75,"prepMinutes":76,"cookMinutes":77,"restMinutes":78,"difficulty":79,"course":80,"diet":82,"mainIngredients":85,"ingredients":90,"instructions":124,"nutrition":157,"images":163,"keywords":173,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"challah","Challah (Braided Egg Bread for Shabbat)","חלה","Challah","KHAH-lah","israel","Ashkenazi tradition, baked across the country","🍞","An egg-enriched dough braided into a plump six-strand loaf and baked to deep bronze: soft, faintly sweet, made with oil rather than butter so it belongs on any Friday table.","Challah is a braided loaf made from a dough enriched with eggs, oil and honey, glazed twice so it bakes to a glossy mahogany and pulls apart in long, silky strands. It is sweeter than sandwich bread but nowhere near cake — the honey is there for colour and softness as much as taste. Because it uses oil instead of butter, the loaf contains no dairy, which is precisely why it can sit on a table alongside meat under kosher rules. The dough is forgiving and pleasant to handle, the braiding is the only part that takes practice, and the reward is a loaf that tears rather than crumbles and makes the best French toast you will ever cook from a leftover.","The word challah does not originally mean a braided loaf at all. It refers to the portion of dough that Jewish law requires be separated and set aside when baking bread, a commandment given in the Book of Numbers; in the absence of the Temple, the piece is simply removed and burned, and the blessing over it is still said by home bakers today. The name then transferred to the bread itself, and specifically to the special loaf baked for the Sabbath.\n\nThe plaited shape is Ashkenazi and European. Braided festive breads were widespread in medieval Central Europe, and the Jewish Sabbath loaf of Germany, Austria, Poland and beyond developed alongside them — which is why challah looks so much like the region's other holiday breads and so little like the Sabbath breads of Jewish communities elsewhere. Yemenite families baked kubaneh overnight in a sealed pot; Moroccan and Iraqi households made their own flatter, often sesame-crusted Shabbat breads. The braid is one tradition among several, not the universal Jewish bread, and it became dominant in Israel largely because Ashkenazi immigration and the commercial bakeries that followed made it so.\n\nTwo loaves go on the Friday night table rather than one — lechem mishneh, recalling the double portion of manna gathered before the Sabbath in the biblical account. They are covered with a cloth until the blessings are said, then the bread is torn or cut, dipped in salt and passed hand to hand around the table. At Rosh Hashanah the shape changes: the loaf is coiled into a round instead of braided, often with raisins worked through and extra honey in the dough, a sweet and unbroken circle for the year ahead. In Israeli bakeries the Friday afternoon challah rush is a genuine phenomenon — trays coming out warm until the last possible hour, sold to people who have no intention of waiting until dinner to start one.",[16,17,18,19],"A dough hydrated and enriched to stay soft for two days, without the butter that would make the loaf dairy.","Braiding explained by strand and by feel, including the taper that keeps the finished loaf from looking like a flat plait.","Two glazes — one before proving, one before baking — for a deep even shine that does not crack along the seams.","Uses the poke test and the internal temperature rather than a fixed rising time, which varies enormously with kitchen warmth.",[21,22,23,24,25,26],"Knead until the dough passes the windowpane test: a small piece stretched between your fingers goes thin enough to see light through it before it tears. Under-kneaded challah bakes dense and tears raggedly.","Roll each strand with tapered ends, thicker in the middle. Even sausages of dough braid into a flat plait, while tapered ones give the loaf its plump, arched profile.","Braid on the tray you will bake on. A finished six-strand loaf lifted from a worktop stretches out of shape halfway across the kitchen.","Prove the shaped loaf only until a floured fingertip pressed into the dough springs back slowly and leaves a shallow dent. Fully sprung back means more time; a dent that stays put means it has gone too far and will spread.","Glaze twice, once before the second prove and once just before baking, and get the brush into the crevices between the strands — those are the pale gaps in most homemade challah.","Pull the loaf when the centre reads 90–93°C, or when the underside sounds hollow. Enriched dough browns long before it is cooked through, so colour alone will fool you.",[28,32,36],{"original":29,"swap":30,"note":31},"Honey","The same weight of sugar, or date syrup","Sugar gives a slightly less deep colour and a cleaner sweetness. Date syrup darkens the crumb noticeably and tastes excellent, if less traditional in an Ashkenazi loaf.",{"original":33,"swap":34,"note":35},"Instant yeast","20 g fresh yeast, crumbled into the lukewarm water with a pinch of the honey","Let it stand 10 minutes until it foams before mixing. Fresh yeast works slightly faster, so start checking the first rise ten minutes early.",{"original":37,"swap":38,"note":39},"Egg wash","Aquafaba or plant milk whisked with a teaspoon of maple syrup","For a vegan loaf you also need to replace the eggs in the dough, which changes the crumb — the result is a decent enriched bread but not really challah.",[41,44,47],{"name":42,"description":43},"Round Rosh Hashanah challah","Roll a single long tapered rope and coil it into a spiral, tucking the end underneath. Add 80 g of raisins and an extra spoon of honey to the dough for the sweet, unbroken circle traditional at the new year.",{"name":45,"description":46},"Za'atar and olive oil challah","Brush the strands with olive oil and scatter za'atar over the shaped loaf instead of sesame seeds. A modern Israeli bakery habit rather than an old tradition, and very good with labneh.",{"name":48,"description":49},"Water challah","The leaner Sephardi-style loaf: fewer eggs, less sweetener, sometimes none at all, giving a chewier crumb closer to ordinary white bread. Better for sandwiches, worse for French toast.",[51],"Torn warm with salt and good olive oil, or the next morning cut thick for French toast and eaten with honey.","Challah stays soft for 2 days wrapped in a clean cloth inside a paper bag — never a sealed plastic bag while still warm, which steams the crust to leather. It freezes very well: cool completely, wrap tightly and freeze whole for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature and refresh for 8 minutes in a 180°C oven. Day-three challah is not a failure but a raw material; it is the traditional base for French toast and for bread pudding precisely because the enriched crumb soaks custard without collapsing.",[54,57,60,63,66],{"question":55,"answer":56},"Why did my braid lose its definition in the oven?","Almost always over-proving. If the shaped loaf rises too long the strands relax, merge and spread sideways as soon as the oven heat hits. Prove until a floured fingertip leaves a dent that fills back slowly, not until the loaf has doubled. Rolling the strands too thin, or braiding them too loosely, produces the same flattened result.",{"question":58,"answer":59},"What is the difference between challah and brioche?","Fat. Brioche is built on a large amount of butter, sometimes half the weight of the flour, which makes it rich, short and unmistakably dairy. Challah uses oil, so the crumb is stringier and lighter and the loaf contains no milk products at all. That is not a stylistic choice but a practical one: kosher rules separate meat from dairy, and a dairy-free loaf can be served with any Sabbath meal.",{"question":61,"answer":62},"Can I make challah dough the night before?","Yes, and it improves the flavour. Mix and knead the dough, then refrigerate it covered for 8 to 16 hours instead of the first rise at room temperature. Take it out, let it warm for about an hour until it is workable and no longer fridge-cold, then divide, braid and prove as normal. The second prove will run longer than usual because the dough starts cooler.",{"question":64,"answer":65},"How many strands should I use?","Three is the standard and by far the easiest, giving a neat rounded plait. Six gives the tall, ropey loaf sold in Israeli bakeries and is the version many people picture, but it needs a little practice. Four is a good middle step. The number changes only the appearance, not the recipe, and a competent three-strand loaf beats a collapsed six-strand one.",{"question":67,"answer":68},"Why is my challah dry inside?","Either too much flour was worked in during kneading, or it was baked too long. Challah dough should stay slightly tacky to the touch — resist adding flour every time it sticks, and use a scraper instead. For the bake, go by internal temperature: pull it at 90–93°C in the centre. Enriched, sugary dough colours deeply well before it is done, so waiting for a darker crust usually means overbaking.",[70,71,72,73,74],"Stand mixer with dough hook, or a bowl and determination","Digital scale","Large baking tray with parchment","Pastry brush","Instant-read thermometer",10,40,30,150,"medium",[81],"bread",[83,84],"vegetarian","dairy-free",[86,87,88,89],"flour","eggs","yeast","honey",[91,96,99,103,107,109,112,115,119],{"ref":86,"qty":92,"unit":93,"name":94,"group":95},600,"g","strong white bread flour, plus a little for the worktop","For the dough",{"ref":88,"qty":97,"unit":93,"name":98,"group":95},7,"instant dried yeast",{"qty":100,"unit":101,"name":102,"group":95},250,"ml","lukewarm water",{"ref":87,"qty":104,"unit":105,"name":106,"group":95},2,"piece","eggs, at room temperature",{"ref":89,"qty":108,"unit":93,"name":89,"group":95},70,{"qty":110,"unit":101,"name":111,"group":95},90,"neutral oil (sunflower or mild olive)",{"qty":113,"unit":93,"name":114,"group":95},12,"fine salt",{"ref":87,"qty":116,"unit":105,"name":117,"group":118},1,"egg, beaten with a pinch of salt","To glaze and finish",{"ref":120,"qty":104,"unit":121,"name":122,"optional":123,"group":118},"sesame-seeds","tbsp","sesame or poppy seeds",true,[125,130,134,138,142,146,150,154],{"title":126,"text":127,"timerSeconds":128,"tip":129},"Mix the dough","Whisk {qty:flour} of flour with the yeast in a large bowl, then make a well and add the lukewarm water, the two eggs, the honey and the oil. Mix to a shaggy mass with no dry flour left at the bottom, cover and leave for 20 minutes before adding the salt.",1200,"Holding the salt back for twenty minutes lets the flour hydrate properly and cuts the kneading time noticeably.",{"title":131,"text":132,"timerSeconds":92,"tip":133},"Knead to a windowpane","Work in the salt, then knead for 8–10 minutes in a mixer on medium-low or 12–15 minutes by hand. The dough starts sticky and finishes smooth, elastic and only faintly tacky — stretch a small piece between your fingers and it should thin to a translucent membrane before tearing.","Do not keep flouring the worktop. Enriched dough turns non-stick on its own once the gluten develops.",{"title":135,"text":136,"timerSeconds":137},"First rise","Round the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm spot for 60–90 minutes until roughly doubled and visibly domed. Press two fingers in — the dent should fill back slowly rather than snapping shut.",4500,{"title":139,"text":140,"tip":141},"Divide and roll the strands","Turn the dough out without punching it flat and divide it into six equal pieces by weight. Roll each into a rope about 35 cm long, thicker through the middle and tapered at both ends, keeping the surface smooth. Let the ropes rest 5 minutes if they fight back.","Weigh the pieces. Eyeballed strands make a lopsided loaf and there is no fixing it after the braid.",{"title":143,"text":144,"tip":145},"Braid on the tray","Pinch the six ropes together firmly at one end on a lined baking tray. Braid by taking the outermost right strand over two, then the outermost left strand over two, repeating until you run out of rope, then pinch the tail and tuck both ends underneath. Keep the braid snug but not stretched.","For a three-strand loaf, divide into three and plait as you would hair — genuinely easier and completely traditional.",{"title":147,"text":148,"timerSeconds":149},"Glaze and prove again","Brush the loaf all over with beaten egg, working the brush down into the gaps between strands. Cover loosely and prove 45–60 minutes, until a floured fingertip pressed lightly into a strand leaves a shallow dent that fills back slowly. Heat the oven to 190°C meanwhile.",3000,{"title":151,"text":152,"timerSeconds":153},"Second glaze and bake","Brush a second coat of egg over the risen loaf, scatter with sesame or poppy seeds, and bake for 25–32 minutes until the crust is a deep bronze and the centre reads 90–93°C. If the top darkens too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last ten minutes.",1800,{"title":155,"text":156,"timerSeconds":153},"Cool before tearing","Slide the loaf onto a rack and leave it at least 30 minutes — the crumb is still setting and cutting hot challah gums it up. Serve whole so it can be torn at the table, with a dish of salt alongside.",{"calories":158,"protein":159,"carbs":160,"fat":161,"fiber":104,"sugar":159,"sodium":162,"estimated":123},330,8,50,11,480,[164,167,169,171],{"src":165,"alt":166},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchallah\u002Fhero.jpg","Tall six-strand braided challah with a glossy deep bronze crust scattered with sesame seeds",{"src":168,"alt":166},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchallah\u002Fhero-16x9.jpg",{"src":170,"alt":166},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchallah\u002Fhero-4x3.jpg",{"src":172,"alt":166},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchallah\u002Fhero-1x1.jpg",[4,174,175,176,177,178,179],"braided bread","shabbat","egg bread","jewish baking","enriched dough","israeli","2026-08-20","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":183,"total":75,"page":116,"limit":409,"hasMore":410},[184,191,222,250,276,299,326,349,373,393],{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"romanized":7,"countrySlug":9,"region":10,"baseServings":75,"prepMinutes":76,"cookMinutes":77,"restMinutes":78,"difficulty":79,"course":185,"diet":186,"mainIngredients":187,"images":188,"keywords":190,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},[81],[83,84],[86,87,88,89],[189],{"src":165,"alt":166},[4,174,175,176,177,178,179],{"slug":192,"title":193,"nativeName":194,"romanized":195,"countrySlug":9,"region":196,"baseServings":197,"prepMinutes":198,"cookMinutes":199,"restMinutes":162,"difficulty":200,"course":201,"diet":203,"mainIngredients":205,"images":210,"keywords":214,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"cholent","Cholent (Overnight Sabbath Beef and Barley Stew)","טשאָלנט","Cholent \u002F Tsholnt","Ashkenazi kitchens, Jerusalem and Bnei Brak",6,35,780,"hard",[202],"main",[84,204],"nut-free",[206,207,208,209],"beef-chuck","pearl-barley","potato","onion",[211],{"src":212,"alt":213},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fcholent\u002Fhero.jpg","Cast-iron pot of dark overnight stew with chunks of beef, whole potatoes, beans, barley and peeled brown eggs on top",[192,215,216,217,218,219,220,221],"sabbath stew","overnight","beef","barley","ashkenazi","hamin","slow cooked",{"slug":223,"title":224,"nativeName":225,"romanized":226,"countrySlug":9,"region":227,"baseServings":228,"prepMinutes":229,"cookMinutes":198,"difficulty":79,"course":230,"diet":232,"mainIngredients":235,"images":240,"keywords":244,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"chraime","Chraime (Holiday Fish in Sweet-Hot Pepper Sauce)","חריימה","Chraime","North African communities, Negev and the coast",4,20,[202,231],"appetizer",[233,84,234],"pescatarian","gluten-free",[236,237,238,239],"white-fish","paprika","garlic","tomato",[241],{"src":242,"alt":243},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchraime\u002Fhero.jpg","Thick white fish steaks poaching in a shallow pan of deep red pepper and paprika sauce with cilantro and lemon wedges",[223,245,237,246,247,248,249,179],"fish","libyan jewish","rosh hashanah","holiday","north african",{"slug":251,"title":252,"nativeName":253,"romanized":254,"countrySlug":9,"region":255,"baseServings":228,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":229,"restMinutes":256,"difficulty":79,"course":257,"diet":260,"mainIngredients":262,"images":267,"keywords":271,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"israeli-falafel","Israeli Falafel (Chickpea Fritters in Pita with Amba)","פלאפל","Falafel","Nationwide, strongest in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem",720,[258,259],"street-food","snack",[83,261,84],"vegan",[263,264,265,266],"chickpeas","parsley","tahini","pita-bread",[268],{"src":269,"alt":270},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fisraeli-falafel\u002Fhero.jpg","Open pita packed with dark-crusted falafel balls, chopped salad, pickles and drizzles of tahini and yellow amba",[272,263,273,179,274,275,265,261],"falafel","street food","levantine","amba",{"slug":277,"title":278,"nativeName":279,"romanized":280,"countrySlug":9,"region":281,"baseServings":228,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":108,"restMinutes":282,"difficulty":79,"course":283,"diet":284,"mainIngredients":286,"images":289,"keywords":293,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"israeli-shawarma","Israeli Shawarma (Spit-Roast Turkey Thigh in Laffa)","שווארמה","Shawarma","Nationwide",240,[202,258],[84,285],"halal-friendly",[287,288,265,209],"turkey","cumin",[290],{"src":291,"alt":292},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fisraeli-shawarma\u002Fhero.jpg","Shaved spiced turkey shawarma piled into an open laffa flatbread with tahini, chopped salad, pickles and amba",[294,287,295,296,297,275,298],"shawarma","baharat","laffa","israeli street food","spit roast",{"slug":300,"title":301,"nativeName":302,"romanized":303,"countrySlug":9,"region":304,"baseServings":197,"prepMinutes":305,"cookMinutes":305,"restMinutes":306,"difficulty":307,"course":308,"diet":310,"mainIngredients":311,"images":316,"keywords":320,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"israeli-malabi","Malabi (Rosewater Milk Pudding with Red Syrup)","מלבי","Malabi","Levantine kitchens, sold from kiosks nationwide",15,180,"easy",[309],"dessert",[83,234],[312,313,314,315],"milk","cornstarch","rose-water","peanuts",[317],{"src":318,"alt":319},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fisraeli-malabi\u002Fhero.jpg","Glass of pale set milk pudding under bright red syrup, topped with shredded coconut and crushed peanuts",[321,322,323,324,309,179,274,325],"malabi","muhallabia","milk pudding","rose water","no-bake",{"slug":327,"title":328,"nativeName":329,"romanized":330,"countrySlug":9,"region":331,"baseServings":197,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":332,"difficulty":307,"course":333,"diet":335,"mainIngredients":336,"images":338,"keywords":342,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"israeli-matbucha","Matbucha (Slow-Cooked Tomato and Roasted Pepper Salad)","מטבוחה","Matbucha","Moroccan and Algerian kitchens, now nationwide",105,[231,334],"side",[83,261,234,84],[239,337,238,237],"bell-pepper",[339],{"src":340,"alt":341},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fisraeli-matbucha\u002Fhero.jpg","Shallow dish of dark red matbucha, thick with peeled pepper strips and slicked with olive oil, bread alongside",[343,344,345,239,346,347,179,348],"matbucha","cooked salad","roasted peppers","salatim","moroccan","vegan dip",{"slug":350,"title":351,"nativeName":352,"romanized":353,"countrySlug":9,"region":354,"baseServings":228,"prepMinutes":355,"cookMinutes":229,"restMinutes":356,"difficulty":79,"course":357,"diet":358,"mainIngredients":359,"images":363,"keywords":367,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"jerusalem-mixed-grill","Meorav Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Mixed Grill)","מעורב ירושלמי","Me'orav Yerushalmi","Jerusalem, Mahane Yehuda market",25,60,[202,258],[84,285],[360,361,209,362],"chicken-liver","chicken","turmeric",[364],{"src":365,"alt":366},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fjerusalem-mixed-grill\u002Fhero.jpg","Cast-iron pan of seared chicken livers, hearts and thigh strips with turmeric-stained onions and chopped parsley",[368,369,370,371,372,179,362],"meorav yerushalmi","jerusalem mixed grill","chicken liver","offal","mahane yehuda",{"slug":374,"title":375,"nativeName":376,"romanized":377,"countrySlug":9,"region":378,"baseServings":228,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":379,"restMinutes":306,"difficulty":307,"course":380,"diet":382,"mainIngredients":383,"images":385,"keywords":389,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"sabich","Sabich (Iraqi-Jewish Aubergine and Egg Pita)","סביח","Sabich","Ramat Gan and greater Tel Aviv",45,[258,381],"breakfast",[83,84],[384,87,265,266],"eggplant",[386],{"src":387,"alt":388},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsabich\u002Fhero.jpg","Pita stuffed with fried aubergine slices, brown egg rounds, potato and chopped salad, topped with tahini and yellow amba",[374,390,384,391,275,392,297,83],"aubergine","pita","iraqi jewish",{"slug":394,"title":395,"nativeName":396,"romanized":397,"countrySlug":9,"region":398,"baseServings":228,"prepMinutes":305,"cookMinutes":198,"difficulty":307,"course":399,"diet":400,"mainIngredients":401,"images":402,"keywords":406,"publishedAt":180,"updatedAt":180,"authorSlug":181},"israeli-shakshuka","Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Spiced Pepper and Tomato)","שקשוקה","Shakshuka","North African kitchens, adopted nationally",[381,202],[83,234],[87,239,337,237],[403],{"src":404,"alt":405},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fisraeli-shakshuka\u002Fhero.jpg","Skillet of thick red pepper and tomato sauce with six poached eggs, crumbled feta and chopped parsley",[407,87,239,381,179,249,408,83],"shakshuka","one pan",24,false,1787360058537]