What makes challah bread different?
Challah is a yeast bread that is enriched with eggs, similar to brioche. The biggest difference between the a challah bread dough and brioche dough is that brioche contains lot of butter while challah contains oil.
What is the best flour for challah?
Make it whole wheat: While challah made with 100% whole wheat flour will be heavier than that made with all-purpose flour, it will still be soft and delicious. For best flavor, we recommend substituting white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour.
What is the difference between a challah and a brioche?
Challah and brioche, while similar, are not the same bread at all. The most important difference has to do with the fact that challah is part of Jewish tradition, and is kosher to eat with all meals—so it is not made with dairy, i.e. butter. Brioche, on the other hand, is French, so of course it is made with butter!
Is challah considered white bread?
Challah is a traditional braided bread that is usually baked by Jewish women. A typical challah recipe consists of eggs, fine white, high-gluten flour, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Many varieties of the recipe exist, though; for example, some challah recipes contain no eggs.
Why do we put salt on challah?
Salting challah is considered a critical component of the meal. Should one eat a meal without performing a commandment, the covenant of salt protects him. To the rabbis, a meal without salt was considered no meal. Furthermore, in the Torah, salt symbolizes the eternal covenant between God and Israel.
Is challah dough supposed to be sticky?
The dough needs only two minutes of kneading because it gets worked heavily during shaping. If the dough is sticky, don’t worry; just add a little more flour until it’s firm. This stiff consistency actually helps the challah have a very finely grained texture and a very high profile with distinctive, separate strands.
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in challah?
Made with extra-virgin olive oil, this challah is especially rich and complex tasting. If you’d prefer a more classic challah, substitute a neutral oil such as safflower or grapeseed for the olive oil and leave out the zest.
Is challah eaten with butter?
Challah is usually pareve (containing neither dairy nor meat—important in the laws of Kashrut), unlike brioche and other enriched European breads, which contain butter or milk.