L’Shana Tova! Happy Jewish New Year!
Friday night is the start of Rosh Hashanah and what better way to celebrate than with some fresh challah!
Round challahs are used to celebrate the Jewish New Year. The round bread represents the cyclical nature of the calendar year. Along with round challah, apples and honey are a staple of the holiday. The two represent a sweet new year to come.
While there are no apples in this challah, there is a lot of honey. Often the round challahs are made with raisins to represent the “sweetness.”
This challah recipe has been my mom’s go-to challah recipe since I can remember. Growing up I remember helping her braid the dough and putting the egg wash on right before it went in the oven.
With the addition of the raisins, the bread is super sweet. It has a doughy, but light texture. It is great for the holiday and even better as french toast the next morning.
Check out the recipe below and have a great new year! L’Shana Tova
Rosh Hashanah Challah
Ingredients
- 2 packets active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 3/4 cup hot water
- 1 1/4 cups oil
- 4 large eggs
- 6-8 cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook or a large bowl with a wooden spoon, mix together yeast, salt, honey, and water. Lightly stir.
- Add 2 cups of flour into the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly. Next, add in the oil and 3 of the eggs. Mix until combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Continue to add the remaining flour so the dough becomes firm and less sticky. The dough will begin to knead if using a dough hook. Once everything is combined, take the dough out of the bowl and continue to knead on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until it has a smooth and silky texture.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let the dough sit in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
- After the rise, punch down the dough and give it a brief knead. Cut the dough into two equal pieces. Shape the dough how you would like, either in a round, braid, or lattice. Place the dough on the parchment and cover. Let sit and rise for another 30 minutes.
- After the second rise, beat the remaining egg with a splash of water to make an egg wash. Cover the dough with egg wash thoroughly.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the crust is a rich brown.
- The challah should last about a week if covered. It can also be frozen and last for several months in the freezer.
Notes
