Ashkenazi Jewish Sabbath bread
Challah
An enriched braid with a glossy crust. Fresh-milled hard white keeps it golden without tasting 'wheaty.'
Your loaf
Scaled to your flour, protein, and hydration.
Suggested hydration 59.5%. Mix protein 12.6% · after VWG 12.6% protein · 10.6% gluten. Effective liquid 59.5% (water + milk/eggs/etc).
Rest
10 min
Bulk / rise
1h 30m
Proof
50 min
Bake
34 min
Times follow this dough weight and hydration — wetter and whole-grain run faster; bigger loaves bake longer. Timers below match these numbers.
| Ingredient | Baker’s % | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-grain flour | 100 | 500 g |
| Flour | 100 | |
| Water | % | |
| Salt | % | |
| Yeast | % | |
| Oil | % | |
| Sugar | % | |
| Dough total | 923 g |
Same list as a classic baker’s % calculator: Flour and Water stay on. Check Milk, Yeast, Oil, Honey… then OK. Percents are of flour weight.
- Hard White Wheat can take a real knead and a higher hydration. Give it a windowpane if the style wants one.
- Fresh whole-grain flour ferments faster and drinks more water. Watch the dough, not the clock, and consider a slightly cooler bulk.
Hands, rest, heat
Knead
10–12 minutes. The dough should be soft, not sticky, and pull a thin windowpane.
Rest
10 minutes after mixing eggs + flour if it looks shaggy, then knead in the oil. For this batch: about 10 min.
Rise / bulk
90–120 minutes until doubled. Two rises make a finer crumb. For this batch: about 1h 30m.
Proof
After braiding, 45–75 minutes until a poked dent fills slowly. Egg-wash twice. For this batch: about 50 min.
Bake
350°F 30–38 minutes to 190°F. Tent with foil if the braid darkens early. For this batch: about 34 min.
Eggs count toward hydration (~75% water). This formula treats egg weight separately in the tailor.
Method
- Bloom yeast in part of the water with a pinch of sugar.
- Mix flour, remaining water, eggs, sugar, and salt. Knead in oil last.
- Bulk until doubled. Divide for a 3-, 4-, or 6-strand braid.
- Braid, tuck ends, proof on parchment.
- Egg-wash, rest 10 minutes, egg-wash again, sesame or poppy if you like.
- Bake until deep gold. Cool before the first ceremonial slice.
Ratings
No community ratings yet — yours stay on this phone.
Your bake
Upload a snapshot of your loaf. Photos stay on this phone (and with your account if you sign in).