Braided Raisin Challah Loaf
Challah with Raisins, a traditional Jewish bread often eaten on Shabbat and holidays. As you slice into its soft, pillowy interior, you encounter plump, juicy raisins that burst with flavor, creating a delightful contrast to the subtle sweetness of the bread.
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 227kcal
Equipment
- Large Rimmed Cookie sheet with cooling racks
- Parchment Paper Sheets
- Rolling Mat for Dough
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Yeast 1 envelope dry Instant or Active yeast.
- ¾ cup Water lukewarm
- ⅓ cup Honey
- 3 large Eggs room temperature eggs, beaten
- ⅓ cup Vegetable oil
- 4½ cup Flour all purpose or bread flour
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Raisins preferably golden
- 1 large Egg yolk for the egg wash
- 2 tablespoon water for the egg wash
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, and honey. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.1 tablespoon Yeast, ¾ cup Water, ⅓ cup Honey
- Add the beaten eggs and the vegetable oil to the foamy yeast mixture.3 large Eggs, ⅓ cup Vegetable oil
- Add the flour, salt, yeast, egg, and oil mixture, and mix until a dough forms.4½ cup Flour , 2 teaspoon Salt
- Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and allow to bulk rise, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and knead the raisins into the dough until evenly distributed.¾ cup Raisins
- Divide the dough into three equal portions, rolling each into a 20" rope.
- Pinch the rope ends together and braid into a three strand loaf. Pinch the ends together to secure.
- Transfer the braided dough to a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise again until doubled in size.
- When the loaf is almost doubled, preheat the oven to 350 F. Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water to create the egg wash.1 large Egg yolk, 2 tablespoon water
- Brush the challah with the egg wash for a golden crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the challah is cooked through and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove the challah from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
- Knead the dough. Proper kneading develops the gluten, giving the challah its elasticity and texture. I love the dough kneading machine as it saves my elbow grease!
- Allow extra time for rising. Enriched doughs (those with eggs, sugar, and dried fruits) tend to take about twice as long to rise, so be patient. As long as you know your yeast bubbled, your bread should also rise.
- Brush with egg wash. The egg wash gives the challah a beautiful golden-brown crust.
- Use room temperature eggs, not cold refrigerated ones. Cold ones will slow your bulk rise.
- Don't overbake. Overbaking can dry out the challah. Check for doneness by tapping it; it should sound hollow when cooked through.
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 2mg
