Honey Challah is just as beautiful as it is delicious! This traditional Jewish bread is made from scratch and the results are always so satisfying. The fluffy, chewy dough gets braided and woven with sweet raisins, and then it’s topped with sweet honey and savory sesame seeds. Honey Challah comes out of the oven smelling amazing… and it tastes even better than it smells!
Ingredients
- 2 (.25-ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water, heated to 110-115 degrees F, divided
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey, divided
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6-7 cups bread flour
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cups golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon water, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Directions
Step 1 –In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and the sugar in 1 cup of the warm water.
Step 2 –Separate two of the eggs and refrigerate the egg whites.
Step 3 –Place the egg yolks and the remaining eggs in a large bowl.
Step 4 –Add 2/3 cup of the honey, the oil, the salt, the yeast mixture, 3 cups of the flour, and the remaining warm water to the eggs and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Step 5 –Stir enough of the remaining flour into the dough mixture until a soft and sticky dough forms.
Step 6 –In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the raisins and let them stand for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Step 7 –Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it until it is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 8 –Knead the dried raisins into the dough.
Step 9 –Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top, then cover, and let rise in a warm place until it has almost doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 10 –Grease a baking sheet.
Step 11 –Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, divide it in half, and then divide the two portions into six pieces each.
Step 12 –Braid the dough pieces into two 16-inch ropes.
Step 13 –Place the ropes parallel to each other on the prepared baking sheet and pinch the ropes together at the top.
Step 14 –Cover the ropes with kitchen towels and let them rise in a warm place until they have almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
Step 15 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 16 –In a small bowl, whisk the chilled egg whites, the remaining honey, and the room temperature water together.
Step 17 –Brush the egg wash over the loaves and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Step 18 –Bake the ropes until the bread is golden-brown and sounds hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 19 –Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool.
Step 20 –Serve.