CHALLAH + How to Avoid The Most Common Mistakes When Making It

Challah (yield: 1 550g/1.2 lb loaf)
1/2 c (113g) water, warm
1.5 tsp (4.5g) instant yeast
2.25 c (315g) bread flour
2 Tbsp (25g) sugar
1 tsp (6g) fine salt
2 Tbsp (25g) oil
1 egg
1 egg yolk
extra egg for the egg wash
1. Stir together the warm water and yeast and leave alone for a minute to let the yeast dissolve.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
3. Knead the dough until it has reached full gluten development.
4. Add the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size (about 1.5 - 2 hrs).
5. Deflate the dough and divide into six equal pieces (roughly 90g each).
6. Roll each piece into a rough cylinder, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Roll each cylinder so that it is larger in the middle and tapered on the ends.
8. Braid the challah.
9. Brush with oil to prevent the dough from drying and developing a skin. Let rise until a slight indent in the dough springs back slowly and halfway (about 1.5 - 2 hrs)
10. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375F for 25-30 min or golden brown.

[@cileft011]

need to rise to my full potential like this dough 😫

[@Isaidwhatisaiddear]

Amen lol

[@reddeadandangryatcapitalism]

Well, like with the bread you need warmth, time and patience from the environment around you xxx

[@petrescue2093]

Kitchen Wisdom!

[@oliviac295]

You knead to haha

[@soulfullmystic]

lmao, same!

[@GNunya]

I LOVE how you stop at certain points and show us the end stage potential of that point. It’s so informative.

[@moosedoug]

So many likes, so few replies.

[@suzubee9602]

It was honestly. I appreciated it

[@insertname9848]

I don't see anyone else stopping and showing what would happen with the results of the cooking as half way done like the 3 different stages. This cooking video format is fantastic for learning.

[@Iwasonceanonionwithnolayers]

I just need to be kneaded a little longer. I wanna reach my full gluten potential!

[@duhboo3385]

Me a celiac who can’t have gluten 😭

[@Iwasonceanonionwithnolayers]

@@duhboo3385 You can reach your full starchy potential! 😁 There's always a substitute! 🧡

[@Iwasonceanonionwithnolayers]

@@ilovecoffee4978 I will

[@Sleepy..melody]

@@ilovecoffee4978 frfr fresh challah is the best

[@Someone-uo7fx]

@@duhboo3385 reallll, I was thinking the same thing(as a severe celiac)

[@audreym3908]

The best part about challah is that if you have a day old one, you can make delicious french toast!

[@benjaminthebaker]

The best! There is no better bread for french toast

[@heyitsjustmejj]

So true. Challah French toast is the only way I’ll ever have it!

[@audreym3908]

@@heyitsjustmejj especially if it's the raisin cinnamon or chocolate kind

[@Nachtelfin0des0Todes]

Making a bread pudding with apples and raisins out of it is also bomb!

[@Legolas.Greenleaf]

Yesss!

[@samusmaximus8831]

I grew up in a Jewish family and every Friday we made a loaf of hallah for the Sabbath and on Sunday we made French toast from the leftover bread in the morning for breakfast

[@frumpusnumpus]

This is the first time anyone has really explained the window pane test to me. Thank you.

[@tallerwarrior1256]

My family used to go to a family friends house for Shabbat, since they’re Sephardi my father’s friend, who was the man of the house, uses his hands to break the challah bread and shares it with the rest of the table. I’ve heard that some Jewish families prefer to cut the bread using a knife or another form of cutlery but in my experience it’s always been with the hand. I’m just going to place the comment here so that anyone else can tune in, funny enough it also happens to be Friday so Shabbat Shalom.

[@randilevson9547]

Yes, challah is supposed to be torn by hand when served at Shabbas Dinner. This is a very social event in Observant Jewish homes, every Friday night at sunset. Just lovely. Watch 'Fiddler on the Roof' for a cultural reference.

[@tallerwarrior1256]

@@randilevson9547 Yeah it’s weird because I was watching a comedy podcast and two of the guests were talking about Shabbat. The one who was saying that it’s weird to break up the challah with barehands was apparently Ashkenazi and then added that the Jews who do this are Sephardi.

[@alexanderk.6869]

​@@tallerwarrior1256 I grew up with Sephardi traditions and I was legitimately shocked the first time I saw my Ashkenazi now- father-in-law cut the challah with a knife!

[@tallerwarrior1256]

@@alexanderk.6869 Yeah it’s really weird to me it feels less welcoming , you know?

[@marleejohn3519]

Im not Jewish (Christian!) but my grandma used to give me challah bread she got from the store. She likes to slice it but I always to rip it with my hands. However when I tried making it myself slicing was easier (probably cause it was overdone 😭😂) didn’t know it was a cultural debate 😂❤❤

[@merrielee3345]

As a Jewish woman who is not great as at baking you made my heart glad. now maybe I will have light and fluffy collar like everyone else . Thank you so much!

[@timothywaII]

collar 😭

[@rulebritannia2500]

@@timothywaII it’s probably translated 😊

[@chavalampert8541]

I grew up traditional Jewish and I'd make challah with my mom every week :) every family makes it different, for example we didn't use eggs in ours

[@BinBinB4]

What I do is let it rise, punch down, rise again, punch down, shape and let rise, then bake. The challah turns out nice and fluffy for Shabbat.

[@saradrappi]

Oooh I’m going to try that for Shabbat

[@TizonaAmanthia]

Ohhh, double rise, good tip. I miss Challah...can't find it in my area.

[@chavalampert8541]

I love finding Jews in comments sections❤️❤️❤️

[@saradrappi]

@@chavalampert8541 yessir

[@debbyrabold6069]

​@@TizonaAmanthia I make my own challah using a bread machine on the dough setting. Then I take it out of the machine, braid it, & bake it in the oven. So yummy!

[@Hollycat50]

Thank you. In my 60 years, I have never seen a demonstration of various levels of gluten development! Much appreciated!

[@7ThShade]

Man as someone who's been having homemade challah my entire life this is really cool to see such a simple metric like that. The only things my family always did that you didnt touch on was brushing the crust with the egg yolk and the cherry on top that is a sprinkle of poppy seeds

[@saleenz9643]

I'm so glad I came across your channel! I subscribe to several culinary & pastry accounts, but your shorts are by far the most efficiently informative! We appreciate your efforts. ☺️

[@dirankesuma]

Same, I found him on IG and I love his videos. Very informative and not over the top like most creators.

[@goldendaygecko7435]

I'm winter break is almost over and I'm looking for stuff to cook in class I really want to try stuff like this and even though I have a decent amount of experience cooking and baking your tips and explanations are so clear and helpful I love it

[@goldendaygecko7435]

I can't find recipes I want to cook and it's annoying me

[@geaninastoica9834]

@@goldendaygecko7435the recipe is in their shorts' description

[@warriormaiden9829]

Tip from a well-seasoned home cook: add a touch of ground ginger to your yeast mix. It makes it go CRAZY and you can't taste it in the final result. Happy baking! :)

[@Eternally_Moon]

@@warriormaiden9829 Ooh that’s cool 😼 i’ll remember it!

[@NoahsCakesandBakes]

Part of my family is Jewish, so I occasionally make this! Great tips, and yes, it makes amazing French toast!!

[@angmiming]

man, wish I watched this video earlier on my baking journey. No one told me about this. My first bread is over kneaded and it's super tough, because I can't tell during kneading when to stop or if it still needs to be kneaded. Because depending on how much dough you're kneading, the time you have to knead it also changes. They say try the window pane method, but I haven't seen someone show what visual queues to look for during kneading other than you. This simple visual comparison you showed here, can actually help a first time baker knead a dough correctly. 👍👍👍

[@allyssacook5350]

Very well said. 💯🎯👍

[@matthewnewberry9843]

Sent this to the old lady. She's making it tomorrow. We might have a bake off!

[@audreym3908]

How was the bake off?

[@makandicanada]

As a Jew I am proud to see good challah

[@runescape8750]

Same

[@wagnertal]

Same

[@Jesuslovesyou8525]

Shalom!

[@bgamer251]

I've come to see that people like to say things to get attention in the comments

[@Gesh17]

Same

[@calinbrown517]

I've learned more from this man,🤗 than everyone and everything over the last 45 years🙃 and can't imagine what my food would have been like had I known even a quarter of this information!!! ☺️ Thanks for sharing actual information we can USE!!!

[@_-nyxx-_]

My mom made the best challah for my brother's bar mitzvah (not sure if that's the correct spelling) She made all the food from scratch, and it was the best food I had ever had in my life, she spent all day that day making traditional foods by hand.. Best mother I could have ever had. :)

[@Slimeight]

My mom has made challah many times. Whenever I eat it I think of her. She has done many different things with it from sesame seeds to cinnamon and sugar. It is amazing.

[@estee260]

So informative! I don't make challah so often but this is super helpful for when I do!

[@archmagosdeciuskronen1501]

Your videos will help millions get careers in baking. Knowing a ton of tips and tricks before formally studying/training can mean all the difference

[@clownfromclowntown]

Could you make a separate video on how to braid that? Braiding desserts has always seemed really daunting to me, so I’d love a video walking through it!

[@noaburr]

Claire Saffitz has the best tutorial on braiding challah that I've seen! Check her video on challah and babka. The first ever braided loaf I made was a 6-strand challah following her instructions, after the first time making it I made it from memory twice a week for like a month lol

[@Cyntaria]

I see braided bread and immediately think of mum's Tsoureki I help make every easter

[@that_pan_chick8650]

I LOVE how thorough and detailed you are when showing us how much things can change

[@swordsmanthegamernine7973]

I adore this, I REALLY do! This is amazing! That said…when you cut it with a knife it hurt me in my childhood XD I don’t know if anyone else did this but in my house standard procedure was to grab a…bump? A knot? Grab a knot and tear it off and that’s your challah, want more? Tear another!

[@eryxviper]

YES! I found your channel a few days ago and I literally would have made challah three days ago for the first time if the store had eggs. You’re one of VERY few channels that makes me wish I could save shorts. Thank you for the content you produce. Keep it up!

[@theeleventhhour8959]

I’ve been making challah for years and this blew my mind

[@milamoo474]

YES DOUGH YOU NEED TO RISE TO YOUR FULL POTENTIAL I BELIEVE IN YOU

[@Bird-xr1qz]

Celiac here, this looks so damn good I'm in tears :')

[@Juice_the_Guru]

This isn't just great baking advice. This is a great way of keeping the attention of your audience to answer the questions either in the back of our heads or the burning questions we find when we put the steps into practice and think we need further explanation. Feels like a personal tutor. Bravo my guy, you get unskilled people like me excited to try out foods I didn't think I could make!

[@zoharmalka94]

i eat this every day and it is the best type of bread

[@d3c0r43]

I shed a tear when he pronounced it as “hallah”

[@jacobmoore868]

Better than people saying “chah lah”

[@d3c0r43]

@@jacobmoore868 omg to people actually say it like that?!

[@Miroslawkrynda6477]

It’s chałka or chała in Polish (ch is hard h) afaik so he’s not too far off

[@miriamduhamel8679]

@@Miroslawkrynda6477maybe not in Polish, but in Hebrew? 😢

[@olif.5581]

How is it supposed to be pronounced? /gen

[@richardcorrea7365]

Hands down best baking channel I’ve ever seen. He puts a lot of effort into showing the consequences of mistakes.

[@DominicanaChika]

Youve improved my baking abilities! Thank you! ❤

[@saturnii_dae]

some weeks my mom adds cinnamon sugar inside, it's the best!

[@jamesmaravilla5347]

Props to this guy for making multiple of each of his recipes and ruining all but one just for us. Thank yiu your vids have been very helpful

[@yaoi4134]

As a person who grew up in a half Jewish household challah and Brioche are my favorite breads, and we often made thick cut French toast out of the challah

[@IslamRespect_WOMENsigma]

You can’t be half, it’s either your mothers Jewish or your not Jewish

[@poohbear1962]

​@@IslamRespect_WOMENsigma judaism is an ethnoreligion. The religion is passed through the mom, the ethnicity (as all ethnicities are) passed through either parent. You can be half ethnically jewish just like someone is half Chinese or half Japanese. You can also be ethnically jewish and convert religions, and still be ethnically jewish (DNA doesn't change).

[@IslamRespect_WOMENsigma]

@@poohbear1962 yes but your not considered jewish

[@soude85]

@@IslamRespect_WOMENsigma Not in a religious sense but if her father is Jewish, she is still got his genes.

[@IslamRespect_WOMENsigma]

@@soude85 The jewish gene is actually passed through the mother in one of the 6 jewish gene families, while the fathers genes is only where they are from, essentially the jewish way of looking at it is backed up scientifically.

[@Elena-1909]

Great tip! I am Greek we call this ‘tsoureki’ and we eat it especially at Christmas with a walnut on and at Easter with a red coloured egg in the middle.

[@DodgeRamGrl79]

Thank you for the recipe in the Descriptions area. If only others were as thoughtful as you. 🥰 🍞

[@Eveningkiss]

Reminds me of when I make Pulla. It's a Finnish bread served with coffee

[@AndrewKidd14145]

I’ve been trying to get more and more into baking but there’s so much info and books and techniques to learn. I’ve found that this platform you have and your way of teaching is making me want to bake everything.

[@kristinect]

This is the difference between no knead bread and properly kneaded bread. Thank you for confirming what I’ve been experiencing.

[@tausa75]

Thank you, that’s a really helpful test, I’ll definitely try that.

[@rishipampati5426]

i don’t even make bread but i still watch these videos lol

[@steffyduty706]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! IT IS very important gluten activates even on donuts. I was looking an explanation for it and you just did!

[@gladesucks7907]

This is the best bread for French toast, you can’t change my mind

[@aluminiumfailvods8080]

One of the best breads ever, second only to the pita.

[@randilevson9547]

The most delicious bread ever!! You can also do raisin chala, or chocolate chala, add poppy seeds or sesame seeds on top, or dust with a crumbly sweet topping. All delicious!!!

[@Painted_Owl]

This is the kind of presentation I love for educational content. Informative, evocative, and concise yet not rushed

[@hirushiexe]

this is so philosophical in a way😳

[@craigathonian]

Benjamin, i Just had to tell you how much i love what your doing here on your channel. These little facts & tid-bits of knowledge that you highlight are just soooo important for taken your regular recipes to Haute cuisine. Thanks for sharing yourself ❣

[@susannorman4476]

I love Hallah!!!

[@cyvical]

my fav type of bread!!! that bread honestly so good. though whenever I ate it in elementary all of my friends thought it was banana bread just because it was yellow 😐

[@jennaa5230]

I'm glad that you also show what NOT to do, what that end result would be. It's actually super helpful to figure out what went wrong in the process

[@towerguarder]

Ur videos are seriously the best. The effort in making so many different ones just so we can visualise the difference is appreciated

[@k9go]

bakery is magic ✨❤️

[@memaewho]

I don't think I have seen a better explanation about kneading than what you did here so thank you very much! 🙏💗

[@oneeco]

Yeah this fills my video feed and I'm all for it

[@officiallyanthony]

I love the extra explanation on certain aspects of food like that, good looking recipe, lots of information and in under a minute. High quality content

[@lougrala2385]

Your videos are great. I have learned so much. Thank you.

[@Taalul]

This is a very good video, coming from an Israeli. And seeing you make that challah shape brought me memories from kindergarten. Also a toasted challah with bacon is a very good sandwich

[@silverserpent420]

Neat! Gracias 👍🏽

[@benhornstein1688]

Is nice. Finally a video of my people’s bread.

[@numberoneappgames]

This was a lot simpler than I expected.

[@notthereyethomestead8413]

Thank you for your pointers, we need this help with many foods!! Blessings!

[@anaaonly]

best channel ever to make sure that you don't make any mistakes in kitchen 😅❤

[@zjjir]

the strength to rize to its full potential. feel like it's a hero

[@majeedmamah7457]

Cant believe he actually made 3 full Challahs with two lackluster ones just to educate us. You deserve more subs.

[@sphinxxtv1488]

genuinely the most helpful instructions on checking gluten development thank you so much

[@spoons_only]

i don't even bake but whenever i come across your shorts i always watch the full thing like i'm a baker lol

[@kathleenrwar7976]

I cant even eat gluten and I still love watching these videos

[@tracimclaughlin6943]

Awesome!!! Thank you so much for showing the differences and what they look like!!

[@cloudyboudy]

Glad to see people covering traditional jewish foods! (I have no idea is challah is part of any other cultures) i love making challah for my friends. It feels like im sharing the love for my culture with them all (they always go crazy for the challah when i bring it. Usually i dont even get a piece myself lmao)

[@winter_3407]

I know that it’s originally Jewish but I think it’s turned into other things for other people like Germany has versions like Hefezopf and Berches probably though the ashkenasi Jews

[@cloudyboudy]

@@winter_3407 oh really? Thats super cool i had no idea but its great to learn new things like that!

[@yvendous]

*sees recipe in description* You dropped this 👑

[@mikekoningde2295]

Love your videos! Im gonna try (this) one tommorow :)

[@xMrsGontierx]

I been on a mad bread baking spree lately so this is so helpful, thank you so much!

[@silverrraven5349]

i want to make this now it looks tasty (also i had not known how to pronounce challah before this video because i had only seen it written)

[@sorryitsmoops]

Actually the first letter isn't an h sound, it's a kh/ch sound (the letter is Het). Like a g in Dutch,or ch in German (like Bach).

[@SamToG0]

Love your videos, honestly. I grew, and still growing up, on challah, being a commonly made Jewish bread. I think. Anyway. Would love to mention a single thing: _Hallah._ (Not distespect, just think its silly when people don't pronounce the ח/כ/ch sound. I hope that made sense.)

[@analogbug16]

Somewhat unrelated but this taught me where I was going wrong with my pizza dough. I’ve had a problem with it tearing. Just needed to keep kneading it.

[@ananonymousbean2731]

Man i really love your videos, and I love how you show what happens at different scenarios as well ad showing us thr best way to do it, it helps so much!!

[@pandaunicorn2791]

אוחחחחח עם השניצל של שישי וחציל מטוגן וכף מטבוחה 😊

[@JimWitschey]

Fantastic video. Love your comparison format.

[@Emeraldwitch30]

Lovely work. We used to have a Ben the Baker at our summer bazaar! I miss him. His banana chocolate chip bread was the best.

[@elizabethm6657]

I LOVE challah 😋

[@phoenixzena5927]

Your method of explaining is so good . A big thank you

[@gabriellavictoria3617]

Your videos are so helpful 🙏🙏🙏

[@mysteryzmehta4274]

You have become my favorite channel to watch for cooking

[@AstroMoonGoddess]

The window pane method. Very nice.

[@danielleking262]

I legit thought the writing said "cow" at first, so I was thinking this was how to make bread using different types of milk, hahahaha

[@AnonymousAnimated]

The temptation I have to do this braid to my hair.

[@SopeSuds]

this is the first bread i have ever made and i decided to make it harder on myself by adding nutella and strawberries. surprisingly, it actually turned out amazingly! the bread itself is good, the nutella part tasted like chocolate bread, and the strawberry part smelled amazing! next time i make it i want it to be sweeter, it taste like regular bread and i wanted it to be more like a dessert/snack.

[@nokitadokuhebi8991]

I did not know that that's what they call striezel! very educational!

[@acemcbeanpiff]

I used to bake challah at synagogue with the community every year. Helps that it's some of the best damn bread you can bake, and it's so pretty too

[@Saandy_]

This is really good! I feel like I learned as much as I would have done making this bread 4 times.

[@taminaaslam6603]

I remember my son wud make this at pre school ❤ I think on Friday mornings

[@mylesadams748]

Ive always wondered how to make bread look like that now i know i finally make it thank you for making this video

[@gregorydegroat6697]

Perfect video demonstration. No fat just lean content. Will refer to this in the future.

[@kanedashoutaro]

yess finally our food gets recognized!! thank you on behalf of all jewish ♡

[@jessi1854]

Calm down. It's just bread which literally every culture makes. The importance of the video is how to tell when bread has been kneaded properly.

[@loufy7]

challah bread is specific to judaism it a religous food @@jessi1854

[@Vineon200]

I’ve made bread once and this is what I made, it turned out so well