How to Make An Easy-Braid Challah

In this episode, test cook Lan Lam makes host Bridget Lancaster a Jewish classic, Challah.
Get our recipe for Challah: bit.ly/3F8zi35
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[@melissaf00]

Tangzhong: ½ cup water 3 tablespoons bread flour Dough: 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks ¼ cup water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 ¾ cups (15⅛ ounces) bread flour 1 ¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) sugar 1 teaspoon table salt Vegetable oil spray Egg Wash: 1 large egg Pinch table salt 1 tablespoon sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

[@anthonywashington2885]

GODLY. Recommend adding a bit more water to the egg wash.

[@rubyjlove]

The real MVP. Thank you!

[@nccgolden3626]

Thank you for giving the recipe. I was disappointed that I couldn’t access the original recipe unless I paid membership. Geez, so many online that are free and better recipe w Poolish n Tangzhong I just want to figure out percentage of flour to water ratios BTW vegetable oil is very unhealthy use a neutral oil like avocado oil or ghee, or. Raw organic Coconut oil (doesn’t give coconut flavor)

[@nccgolden3626]

What about rest periods n bulk fermentation times?

[@gabagoul67]

I love how this was released on Friday the day of sabbath dinner, epic stuff and of course I fell further in love with the chef lan lam

[@PatHaskell]

Don’t understand a word of what you said except the last part.

[@friedakroynik8901]

At least it is parve and not made with milk.

[@jesuispain]

The clock method is brillliant, great job Lan, as usual.

[@MarkWomack11]

She is so good at explaining her techniques. I really appreciate it.

[@tacobell2448]

She was so elegant on making this bread and i loved how easy it was and she was so good at explaining the process of this recipe 😍💗😁

[@jimmunger8658]

I love Lan she’s so cool. Love you Lan you’re great to watch and learn from. Super job.

[@maryharvey724]

After watching I made this. I wrote down every step in detail and followed exactly. Voila! A work of art and delicious. Everybody gets one next week!

[@elsafischer3247]

Here in Switzerland we also have this bread and before we only eat it on the weekends. We bake it on Saturday morning

[@galaxy_mosaic3587]

I've always been fascinated by challah bread. the braids and the shininess. I'm still intimidated about bread dough but feel encouraged that this recipe is out there

[@danielpincus221]

Braided challah is for the Sabbath. Holiday Challah is round. Maybe start with the round first. I will.

[@BronteBlu2]

This recipe is almost identical to - Japanese Haikado bread. It's my favorite bread recipe, and the fact that I can make the dough into a beautiful loaf of Challah is even more exciting! Thank you so much for the lesson in braiding the dough!

[@adamw8469]

My wife makes my favorite Challah! It’s not the best, but it’s certainly my favorite! Fresh Challah every Shabbat evening!

[@MannyFontes1968]

Well hello Ms. Lan and you never disappoint and am always glad to see you at ATK...😊

[@avalon449]

Lan is an excellent teacher.

[@mollysimmons2960]

✨Beautiful Challah✨ Thank you for showing us every step to a perfect loaf. I’ve never heard of the first step… cooking the flour & water in the microwave. I’m excited to try this recipe today! Thank You 🙏🏼

[@shmubob]

Not something I've heard of for challah either. But very common in Japanese and Chinese baking (Tangzhong is the name in Mandarin that they give)

[@eclecticexplorer7828]

I have long used baking sheets with a layer of air sandwiched inside of it. They are great for baking cookies without over-browning the bottoms. They have loaf pans like that as well. I had one woman check with me three times during one party to confirm that the sugar cookies I brought were ones I had actually baked myself, and after each confirmation, she said emphatically, "I'm impressed!" (No, she was not hitting on me.)

[@cherg6847]

You're very funny!

[@laliichin5471]

Lan is such a delight. Hope to see her more often. I’m gonna try this challah!

[@elainesipos1505]

Thank You Lan for this awesome recipe!

[@enson8502]

Looks really good and easy. I'll give it a try very soon!!!

[@stephaneslec2171]

Thanks for this interesting recipe, it's really well explained and the results are outstanding.

[@joeybagodonuts1008]

That looks fabulous, going to try it this week.

[@bryanmcwhirter9945]

Just got my KitchenAid mixer and I'm making this. Thankyou Lon! Bryan from Canada.

[@ankurm4100]

Thanks! That braiding technique is so easy to remember.

[@garymoore8711]

That is the most beautiful loaf of bread. The only thing missing was soft butter. My mouth watered at the thought!

[@hollyd1208]

Best challah ever!! I love Lan! ❤️ Such a great teacher and the instructions are so easy to follow. It makes a big loaf so going to try make two smaller loaves today - one for me and one to share. 🥰

[@judyblaise1639]

I didn’t see the recipe. The Challah looks so pretty.

[@davidbuben3262]

Check out my answer to what @Adam said. 1st on the comment list.

[@kitty62862]

French toast time!! That looks so gorgeous inside!

[@Paulxl]

That bread looks really good. I want a slice.

[@sheilam1130]

That was great. Thank you

[@MinhNguyen-mo5fp]

Beautiful the whole thing thank you ❤😊🎉

[@robinboroda7909]

The round loaves are symbolic for the New Year In Judaism - the round is for the head of the year. I have never seen a four braid. I usually do 6. I liked your technique. I will try it. Mine was passed down through generations.

[@ethelchaitstein3950]

Dear Lam Lam, great recipie!!! Thnx!!!! Ethel, Jerusalem, Israel

[@yas4435]

Excellent!!!!

[@marthamika7372]

looks delicious 👍🏼 😋

[@tomasgulas]

I wish I saw this earlier, I'd make it. I'll make it tomorrow morning. We eat this for Christmas and add raisins. Have this in the oven now, house smells amazing.

[@markfinley7973]

I LOVE LAN.

[@ml3141]

I love egg challah with lots on sesame on top! 💙

[@danielpincus221]

Beautiful. I imagine you can use Richard Bertinet's "slap and fold" method instead of a stand mixer.

[@MattS242]

Lan is the best!!

[@johnbaptist7476]

I need to learn it so I can make it ,awesome💖💝💓🌺💐🌷🥀🌹

[@sandeegualtier462]

I will try this, definitely 🍞🍞

[@limoncello946]

The bread is brown and shiny😍

[@lineikatabs]

In Bulgaria we add sugar to this and shape it the same way - it's called kozunak (козунак) and we make it for Easter.

[@krikjinker2062]

Thank for the recipe ATK. Gonna go make this now...Challah atcha later!!!

[@kellyharbaugh9391]

I think it looks delicious

[@rosemarydoran9907]

Looks delicious! And not that difficult!

[@judycelestin301]

Looks delightful! I will definitely try this recipe. Yum!

[@sarahraymod1901]

Hi thank you 🙏 for the recipe will the challah stay fresh and soft the next day?

[@JustAThought155]

Good Lord!!! She mastered that bread!!! Wow!

[@jwillisbarrie]

Thanks for adding actual captions for the Deaf

[@lynnshaw5068]

Beautiful

[@bannguyen5057]

Could we use Olive or Avocado oil instead Veg oil? It’s so beautiful will make it soon. Thanks

[@Karen-to8jr]

Yes, you can. I use a light tasting olive oil.

[@RINKRATZ_VR]

And guys all purpose flour works it doesn’t actually make it flag I did it with all purpose flour and it was amazing

[@krazmokramer]

Very nice video. Traditional Challah has honey in the ingredients. What is the reason why you decided to use sugar? THANK YOU!

[@myVillage2323]

What a beauty

[@janekailey2173]

Here’s the problem: the video and written recipe on ATK call for 2.75 cups of flour but the written recipe says that is 15-1/8 oz and they urge us to weigh the flour. I did. No good. I should have thought, “wait a minute! 2-3/4 cups of flour is nowhere near 15-1/8 ounces (at 120 grams per cup which is 4.23 oz)!! That’s 11.73 oz of flour NOT 15-1/8. I added a little more water and it came out good, but it would probably have been better using the correct amount of flour (and smaller). The big question is this: Is her 2-3/4 cups of flour based on 120 grams/cup? Since we must weight the flour (as always), then the video AND the written recipe MUST specify the total weight of flour!!😤

[@heloisacifuentes5234]

Nao consegui ver a receita escrita❤

[@silentaria3241]

Perhaps because I accidently put in 1/4 tsp yeast instead of 1 and 1/4 tsp (wish the recipe was in description, but oh well, I can just make it again), but did anyone dough become super sticky when they put the sugar in? I’m also kneading it by hand if that makes any difference. Tysm!

[@maryharvey724]

I had to play that part of the video 5 times to hear yeast quantity.

[@rothshahar]

What happens if it’s too dry? Do you add milk,more oil maybe?

[@christopherbird5520]

Given all the positive comments on here, my disaster must have been my own fault. My dough was much too wet, So while I love what Lan Lam does and how well she explains things, this didn't work for me. I am not accustomed to volume measurements, so I probably didn't get the measurements right. Sticky mess :-(. However, I will bake it lump and see what happens! Is there any chance that y'all could use weight measurements in your videos fo0r things like this. Metric would be wonderful, but my scales go both ways (weighs?!)

[@coachsteve.]

Looks great, seems like the recipe is missing from the description though.

[@davidbuben3262]

Sometimes I just put on the closed captions and pause it just long enough to jot down the ingredients and instructions. I've gotten pretty fast at it. Jot down the detail notes as well. Sometimes success is in the details.

[@lynnstlaurent6789]

@@davidbuben3262 great tip. Especially for the braiding.

[@AnneTrent]

Link for the recipie is missing

[@picard1233]

Wish they explained the science of tanzhong and how it keeps breads moist.

[@kappadappa]

This technique gelatinizes the starches in the flour causing it to absorb and hold more water than it would otherwise. This extra, captured moisture keeps the bread softer longer.

[@kathystivers3928]

Can I use honey and olive oil instead of vegetable oil and sugar? If so what would be the measurements for each?

[@Karen-to8jr]

I use a light tasting olive oil. Measurement is the same. Yes, you can use honey. Honey is sweeter than sugar so use 1/4 less honey. Try 3 TBS honey. Do not use honey if oven temp is higher than 350 or the honey can scrotch.

[@deniseharrell1591]

Do you have stuffing/dressing recipes for the holidays using this challah? The "hollydaze" is coming upon us!

[@MikiCab1]

Stiffest dough I have ever worked with. Came out nice but wow it is dry.

[@rishi989]

One thing I spend a lot of time doing in the kitchen is reheating leftovers. Can ATK give us a video on best ways to reheat a variety of foods?

[@WalterBurton]

Air fryer for crisp/crusty stuff; microwave for everything else.

[@saragoverman2180]

How many grams in 2 3/4cups flour. could be 120 g per cup or 125 etc.

[@krazmokramer]

King Arthur website says 120g per cup of their bread flour, so 330g in 2 3/4 cups.

[@TheChumm]

Hold up, Mike Lombardo, owner of Rosenfeld's bagels??

[@arniegale6078]

The recipe calls for 2 3/4 cup of flour. What is the correct amount of grams for the flour?

[@canisfabico]

🐉 Challah, Braid Challah...🐉

[@williamjones7163]

Ok. Don't hate me for this BUT... This Challah will make you holla!

[@andresrubwas]

Can I use Active Dry yeast?

[@rubyjlove]

I just used that, it's cooling now and it looks great. I took the 1/2 cup of warm water the recipe calls for with a bit of sugar and let the active dry yeast activate for 10 mins before adding to the main dough.

[@andresrubwas]

Mine is in the oven. I just followed the recipe as it is with the ActiveDry and it worked well. Actually I think it over proofed…

[@andresrubwas]

@@rubyjlove so? Amazing?

[@rubyjlove]

@@andresrubwas came out great, my family is used to a sweet challah so will add more honey next time. 😊 how was yours?

[@andresrubwas]

It over proofed a little bit... huge loaf! I'm with you that it needs some more flavor... sweet and some more salt maybe @@rubyjlove

[@danhering2057]

What can I do in step one if I don’t own a microwave?

[@alicelindborg5096]

Do it like a roux on the stovetop.

[@chiaradamore-klaiman8692]

American Jews eat a lot of American Chinese food (yes, the stereotype is real) so it’s especially lovely to see a Jewish recipe from a Chinese American chef.

[@sandrah7512]

Lan was born in Vietnam, raised in California and has both Chinese and Vietnamese grandparents.

[@chiaradamore-klaiman8692]

Thanks for this info @Sandra H. I had only seen videos where Lan talked about her Chinese heritage.

[@jacobbengera7035]

Thank you from 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱❤️

[@jenniferestes5293]

I have a question and this might sound stupid but... Why should you let fresh baked bread cool all the way down before you slice it? Warm from the oven fresh bread is so tasty. Is it a structural thing? Is it a taste thing? Look at me. 44 years old and only now after baking many a loaf of bread do I ask that question. 😂😂😂

[@ericvaninwegen6384]

Wouldn't an air bubble in the dough make for a hallow challah?

[@JeffO-]

Holy, Hallow, whichever you'd like.

[@sanctifiedbytruth6048]

I don’t know why Bridget says that if you use All purpose flour you’ll get a flat loaf, the America’s Test Kitchen Baking Cookbook Challah recipe calls for all purpose flour without the tongjon thing and it has an easier braiding method and comes delicious. My friend works in a bakery in NY and said my braid was perfect, better than professional bakers she’s seen. All purpose did not result in a flat challah. Their old recipe included butter also and not vegetable oil.

[@deniseharrell1591]

Down at the challah!

[@alicelindborg5096]

I’m wondering why veg oil not butter.

[@christopherbird5520]

Kosher dietary practices, perhaps? Butter being a dairy product and all.

[@Kate-ct9ys]

Challah is traditionally kept pareve so that it can be eaten with meat if desired. If it was made with butter, we wouldn’t be able to consume meat during Shabbat dinner.

[@ruxican1762]

why is a professional cook and a trained chemist giving me dry measurements in cups instead of grams?

[@mddell58]

Here's some info: In 1488, the first recorded mention of Challah as the sabbath bread was made. It was introduced to the United States in the 19th century by Jewish immigrants. Today, challah bread is a well-known bread type that is consumed outside of Jewish circles & is produced in a variety of bakeries.

[@reichbates6548]

I'm amazed that when you start the braid it's a cross! Jesus would be proud!✝

[@krazmokramer]

Jesus has nothing to do with Challah.

[@dora1980]

@@krazmokramer Of course it has. We make this on Easter.

[@krazmokramer]

@@dora1980 We Jews have been making it on Shabbat for far longer.

[@dora1980]

@@krazmokramer You mean for Saturday? Because I know that the Jews don't work on Saturday.

[@krazmokramer]

@@dora1980 Shabbat = The Sabbath = sundown Friday through sundown Saturday. We bake it Friday before sundown. It has nothing to do with Jesus or a cross. It's a Jewish bread being co-opted by Christians trying to erase the existence of anyone who is not Christian.

[@aaronlylegelbman7790]

For the life of me I don’t understand how or why you proofed your shaped challah for 3 hours. When I’ve done the shaped proof (after a first proof in a bowl) the maximum my challah needs is 1 hour. What about your recipe enabled a 3 hour proof?

[@JeffO-]

Cold room?

[@krazmokramer]

Also less yeast than other recipes.

[@stacymiller7873]

Recipe, please 🥖

[@davidbuben3262]

Check out my reply to @Adam. First comment in the queue.

[@johncollins7044]

ATK never provides it. You either get a subscription or spend the 10 minutes extracting the measurements out of the transcript/watching video to catch all the steps.

[@sandrah7512]

@@johncollins7044 It looks like all the recipe from this current season of ATK plus the recent KZbin series videos from Lan, Ashley, Dan, Bryan and Julia are all visible. There's a space for the recipe link above, they just forgot to include it. If you can't see any of the recent recipes from the videos I mentioned, maybe try a different default browser?

[@DoughboyGod]

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[@oldcowbb]

using volumetric measurements for bread is sacrilegious

[@pnourani]

Seriously where's the gram measurements

[@sandrah7512]

The weight measurements for the larger amounts of dry ingredients - flour and sugar - are given in the written recipe (which they left a space for but forgot to include a link).

[@krazmokramer]

@@sandrah7512 And they require credit card info to see the recipe

[@lazulimoon1970]

This bread is not to be cut with a knife. Break with hands.

[@spodvoll]

I wish Cooks Illustrated and ATK would more often practice what you preach about measuring by weight instead of volume when it comes to baking.

[@davidbuben3262]

Good point. I actually enjoy weighing out the grams, hit the tare scale, and keep right on moving. Since using this method, I haven't failedx because of the consistency.

[@angelbulldog4934]

And that doesn't matter to me at all. I've been cooking for probably more than 65 years and I rarely measure anything, except in baking. I live where it's very humid most of the time, so I almost always need more flour than the recipe calls for. Cooking is an art, not a science.

[@spodvoll]

@@angelbulldog4934 Baking is indeed science. Ask any pro. And I guarantee you that pros most certainly do measure, and they use weight rather than volume when baking.

[@mtnx7]

A Chinese 🇨🇳 woman, speaking English 🇬🇧, making a Jewish 🇮🇱 bread, on an American 🇺🇸 show. 😂

[@sandrah7512]

Lan was born in Vietnam, raised in California and has both Chinese and Vietnamese grandparents.

[@deanfeldman2505]

Seems like overkill for a bread that's easy as pie

[@marilynsnider8183]

The four strand is too complicated. I'd stick with a three strand.

[@roberttelarket4934]

I’ve always suspected Lan Lam is jewish- ha ha ha ha.

[@cherg6847]

I remember lots of infertile Jewish families who adopted Chinese babies when China instituted the rule of one child, to basically rescue the girls, so maybe she was one of them? We had these adopted Chinese children with us in Hebrew school.

[@sandrah7512]

@@cherg6847 That's some grand speculation. Lan is Vietnamese. She was born there and has Chinese and Vietnamese grandparents. She talks about making Vietnam's Shaking Beef with her mother when she was little when she presented the recipe on ATK last year (although the recipe she presented was developed by one of her colleagues).

[@cherg6847]

@@sandrah7512 Thanks for the info. Still, she could be Jewish even if Vietnamese, if she wants to be.

[@Finger_Blast]

Lan is a total fox

[@nccgolden3626]

Geez that stinks cant access recipe unless you pay??? So many are available for free

[@KateHikes1933]

The stove fan isn't even attached to the oven.

[@abrarsharon5528]

everything went well until she started cutting the challah! wtf! yoire supposed to tear it!

[@svetlanakondratiouk2851]

This Recipe is very complicated,nobody at home is mastering challah this way. If someone is planning to bake challah ( you can do it plain,with chocolate,raisins,pumpkin,onions …) check recipes on Jewish channels . It is easy and not time consuming.Lan,your challah lucks good,but braiding technique for four strands is much easier. One table spoon salt for this amount of flour is to much.

[@christopherbird5520]

She said 1 teaspoon of salt. I assume that's table salt.

[@maryharvey724]

Recipe says 1 teaspoon of salt.

[@dawnmeier2834]

Don't use microwave. Use the stove. It is better for health reasons. I know something good is going to happen today in Jesus' holy name we pray amen 🙏 🤲 🙌. Hugs.

[@brynwest4495]

not better or worse doesn't make a difference