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Parve
Medium
3 Hours
Diets 
This challah is amazingly simple, has the benefit of being egg-free, and has the beautiful look of a bakery challah. Yields 6 medium challahs.
Don’t forget to also check out Mandy Silverman’s step-by-step guide to making challah as well.
5 and 1/2 cups warm water
1 and 1/3 cups sugar
4 and 1/2 tablespoons Gefen Dry Yeast or other dry active yeast
1 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons salt
5 pounds high-gluten or ‘bread’ flour
drop of oil
Grease pans. Mix together yeast, sugar and water. Let sit for five to 10 minutes until frothy. Add oil, flour (in increments) and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix for 12 minutes, or knead by hand.
Spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray and transfer dough. The bowl should be big enough to hold the dough until it is finished rising. Spray the top of the dough and cover with a towel. If possible, leave somewhere warm to rise. Allow to rise for one hour.
Divide dough to braid – don’t forget Hafrashas Challah – and leave to rise for an additional 30 minutes. My preferred method is to do a four-strand challah. Form the snakes, lay them side by side. Calling your snakes 1, 2, 3 and 4, you braid like this: 1 goes over 2, under 3 and over 4. Your ‘new’ 1 now goes over 2, under 3 and over 4. Continue until you get to the end of the snake and pinched closed. To braid off the top, reverse the method: 4 goes over 3, under 2 and over 1.
If using an egg-wash, apply it now. I like scrambling up an egg and mixing it with about one tablespoon of water. Brush on the wash and, if using a topping (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc) sprinkle it on now. Cover and leave to rise another 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while your challahs are completing their second rise. Bake for about 45 minutes. Once done, remove from pans and cool on a wire rack so that they do not become soggy.
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I’ve made this multiple times. You cannot mess this up. It’s a fantastic recipe.
We’re always here for no-fail recipes!
How would I adjust the recipe with a 6 lb bag of flour?
Measurements How many cups is 5 pounds of flour????.
5 lbs of flour is between 17-20 cups.
Challah Hi
Can I put the dough in the refrigerator overnight in any of the steps
Hi! Yes, you can make the dough and stick it in the fridge to rise overnight.
Hi, yes you can let the dough rise overnight in the fridge.
Fabulous recipe. Easy, fluffy, and delicious.