Food and prop styling by Shiri Feldman
Food prep and styling by Chef Suzie Gornish
Photography by Felicia Peretti

Now is a time that challah has become more than just challah. It is a way for us to involve ourselves and collect zechusim to send to our brothers and sisters who need it desperately. Many of us have our go-to routine for creating the golden loaves. But sometimes we want to expand our horizons and experiment with new textures, flours, or flavors. Whether you feel that adventurous itch or just want to experiment with replacing your classic recipe, turn the page. You might just find what you’re looking for.

Tip: To make your challos uniform in size, weigh your dough before shaping. Large challos are generally 1½ lb (680 g), medium challos are 14 oz (400 g), and rolls are 3½–4 oz  (100–110 g).

—Brynie

Tip: If you want especially high, fluffy challos, place each challah in its own bag to rise and close tightly.

Note: This recipe works beautifully with 80 percent whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour) and with a combo of white spelt and 80 percent spelt. You may have to adjust the amount of water.

Chocolate Challah

Who would think that chocolate and challah go well together? Well, they actually do, deliciously! Try it and see for yourself.

YIELDS 2 LOAVES 

• 1 cup warm water
• 4 tsp rapid-rise yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• ⅓ cup oil
• ⅔ cup honey
• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder
• 5 cups high-gluten flour
• 2 tsp salt
• ⅔ cup chocolate chips (optional)
• 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Icing

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 Tbsp hot water
• 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• ½ tsp oil

Place water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl; stir to combine and allow to bubble. Add oil, honey, eggs, cocoa, flour, and salt and mix until combined and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Mix in chocolate chips, if desired.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and set aside. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down the dough and separate into 2 parts.

Preheat the oven to 200°F (90°C). Form loaves, braiding challah as desired. Place in greased loaf pans and brush with beaten egg.

Place the loaves in the oven and allow to rise for 35 minutes. Raise the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 40 minutes.

While the challah is baking, combine all icing ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.

Remove challah loaves from the oven and transfer to cooling rack. Once cooled, drizzle with icing.

Tip: For a milder garlic bread flavor, you can simply brush the top of the challah with the garlic mixture instead of rolling the strands in it.

Note: If your challah dough recipe is sweet, you’ll want to reduce the sweetness level a bit when making this recipe.

White Spelt Challah

This divine challah recipe is from my sheitel lady, Chani Kroizer, with my tweaking. I have a gazillion challah recipes, but ever since I tried this, I haven’t gone back to any other recipe. It tastes and looks like regular white challah. When I tell people it’s spelt, they are incredulous. Honestly, you really can’t tell.

 YIELDS 1 LARGE, 7 MEDIUM, AND 5 ROLLS; OR 11 MEDIUM; 0R 2 LARGE AND 7 MEDIUM LOAVES

• 2 Tbsp kosher or Himalayan salt
• 17–18 cups (4.4 lb/2 kg + 2 cups) white spelt flour, divided
• 2 full Tbsp dry yeast
• 2 full Tbsp dough enhancer (omit if unavailable)
• 2 oz (55 g) fresh yeast
• 3½ cups warm water, divided
• 1 cup plus 2–3 Tbsp sugar, divided (I use Demerara sugar)
• boiling water, to cover sugar
• 2 large eggs
• scant 1 cup oil

Topping

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp oil
• sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds

Place salt, 10 cups of flour, dry yeast, and dough enhancer, if using, into the bowl of a mixer. Mix well. Meanwhile, dissolve fresh yeast in ½ cup warm water. Add 2–3 Tbsp sugar and let sit for a few minutes until it begins to bubble.

Prepare two ¾-cup measuring cups. Pour ½ cup sugar in each and carefully pour boiling water till the top. Let it sit until the sugar dissolves somewhat and the water is warm. Stir gently. Pour the yeast mixture into the mixer, followed by the cooled sugar-water mixture.

Turn on the mixer and add the remaining 3 cups warm water, alternating with the remaining flour. Add eggs midway and add oil slowly when a dough starts to form. Beat for 10 minutes until a soft dough forms. If necessary, add a little more flour.

Turn the mixer off and let the dough rest for 15 minutes in the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on again and beat for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl with oiled hands and place in a large garbage bag. Close the bag and put it in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

Take challah with a brachah.

Braid or form challos and place in baking pans lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until doubled, at least a half hour.

Preheat the oven to 210°F (100°C). Mix egg, coffee, sugar, and oil for topping. Brush challos with the egg mixture and sprinkle with seeds of your choice. Place loaves in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Raise the temperature to 400°F (200°C) and bake for another 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 10–20 minutes, depending on the size of the challos. Be sure to switch trays halfway through.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack, preferably out of the pan.

photography by Miriam (Pascal) Cohen

Garlic Bread Challah

If you like garlic bread, you’re going to love this garlic bread challah. Each strand of challah gets coated in a delicious garlicky mixture, weaving amazing flavors into every bite of challah!

 YIELDS 5 LOAVES 

1 batch challah dough (5 lb/2.26 kg recipe)

Garlic Bread Filling

• 1 cup olive oil
• 25 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 cubes frozen parsley
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease challah pans; set aside.

Combine all garlic bread filling ingredients in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour garlic filling over it, covering the entire surface.

Roll challah dough into strands, then place into garlic mixture and roll around to fully coat each strand. Use your fingers to brush garlic and parsley onto the strand as well so you don’t get mostly oil.

Braid the challos and place in pans.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Whole Wheat Challah

Whole wheat challah often equals dense and flavor lacking challah. Not this challah. It’s fluffy and delicious!

 YIELDS 5 LOAVES

• 5 Tbsp yeast
• 4 cups warm water, divided
• ¼ cup sugar
• 5 lb white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup seltzer
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 3 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1½ cups honey
• 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Toppings

sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and/or everything bagel seasoning

Place yeast in a bowl with 2 cups water and ¼ cup sugar.

Place flour, remaining 2 cups water, seltzer, eggs, oil, salt, and honey into an electric mixing bowl. Top with the yeast mixture. On the lowest speed, mix until combined. Continue
to mix on the lowest speed for 10 minutes.

Spray or grease a medium-sized garbage bag. Turn the dough out into the bag. (It will be a little sticky.) Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. Punch it down and allow to rise for an additional hour.

Take challah with a brachah.

Form into 5 loaves. Place the challos on a parchment paper-lined pan or prepared challah pan. Brush with beaten egg. Top with seeds.

Bake challos on 350°F (175°C) for 50–55 minutes. Rotate baking sheets after 25 minutes.

If making rolls, bake for only 25–30 minutes.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 866)