The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Challah: Secrets for Soft, Fluffy, and Beautiful Bread

Many women who have tried baking challah in the past — and didn’t succeed, or who never tried at all, often believe the process is long, complicated, exhausting, and mainly messy and frustrating. Others are convinced that they’re simply “not good at baking challah.”

In reality, baking challah is not very complicated. There are just a few small secrets that make all the difference.

Baking challah involves six simple preparation steps:

1. Adding the ingredients and kneading

2. First rise

3. Braiding

4. Second rise

5. Glazing

6. Baking

Two Important Notes

1. Even if you don’t succeed at first — don’t give up.

Even if your first challot don’t look like the ones in cookbooks, after a few tries you’ll understand the method, and with God’s help, your challah will come out beautiful.

2. Tips are not halacha.

The tips below are for guidance only. Every woman can adopt the ones that suit her. Some tips may even contradict each other because we included a variety of opinions. Choose the ones that resonate with you.

To save you from the long “trial and error” route, I’ve gathered many helpful tips for soft, delicious challahs.

Recipe Tips

Choose a reliable recipe

It is very important to choose a recipe from a trustworthy source to ensure good results and avoid disappointment.

Try different recipes until you find “your” challah

Some people prefer slightly sticky dough; others prefer a more elastic one. Try a few recipes until you find the one you connect with.

Prevent salt from touching the yeast

Salt weakens yeast activity, so avoid placing them in direct contact.

For sweet challah, add vanilla extract

It enhances both flavor and aroma.

Tip for Sifting Flour

For fast and efficient sifting, place the sifter inside a plastic bag, put two large spoons on top of the sifter’s mesh, and pour in one kilo of flour at a time. Close the bag and shake. The movement and weight of the spoons help the flour pass through the sifter quickly.

Tips About Yeast

Which yeast should you use? Opinions differ.

1. Most women prefer dry yeast for the following reasons:

• Very convenient to use

• Longer shelf life

• Fewer failures in baking

• High quality when opened

• Much cheaper than fresh yeast

Note: Dry yeast can spoil even before the expiration date without any visible signs. To prevent this, store the open packet in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If the yeast seems weak, discard it and buy a new one.

2. Some prefer fresh yeast for the following reasons:

• Reliable quality with no risk of weakened yeast

• Excellent baking results

• Easy to measure — the standard cube fits 1 kg of flour

Why is proper yeast quantity important?

Too much yeast gives the challah a sour aftertaste, while too little yeast slows the rise or prevents it.

How much yeast to use per kilogram of flour?

Choose one of the following:

• 1 packet (50 g) of fresh yeast grains

• 1 cube (50 g) of fresh yeast

• 2 tablespoons (17 g) of dry yeast

Conversion:

2 tablespoons dry yeast = 50 g fresh yeast

Always follow the recipe.

Do you need more yeast in winter?

No. Cold weather may slow the rise, but you don’t need extra yeast at home. Simply place the dough near a warm spot to help it rise.

Tips for Kneading the Dough

Kneading is extremely important — sometimes more important than braiding. A properly kneaded dough will produce beautiful challahs.
Poor kneading can ruin the texture even if the braiding looks perfect.

Remove cold ingredients in advance

Let the flour, butter/margarine, milk, and eggs come to room temperature for about two hours before starting. This helps everything combine smoothly.

Order of Adding Ingredients

There are two methods. Here is the recommended structured approach:

A. Start with dry ingredients:

1. Salt

2. Flour on top of the salt

3. Sugar and dry yeast on top of the flour

Mix well after each addition.

B. Add the “wet” ingredients (according to the recipe):

• Eggs (if included)

• Honey (for sweet challahs)

• Then begin slow kneading with a mixer or by hand

C. Oil and Water: Which comes first?

Opinions differ.

Opinion 1: Add water first, then oil.

Reason: Adding oil last reduces stickiness and improves rising.

Opinion 2: Add oil first, then water.

Reason: Different flours absorb liquids differently. Adding water last — gradually, helps prevent too much or too little moisture.

Liquids = water, milk, buttermilk, yogurt, juice

Wet ingredients = oil, eggs, honey

Add liquids gradually while kneading until the dough reaches the texture described in your recipe.

How to Know If the Dough Has Enough Water

Correctly hydrated dough:

• Separates easily from the bowl during kneading

• Is soft, elastic, and slightly sticky when finished

If the dough is too sticky:

1. Add a little flour while kneading

2. Or wait. Sometimes stickiness disappears after the dough rests and absorbs moisture.

Doughs with butter or margarine can feel sticky at first but stabilize after resting.

If the dough is too dry:

Knead for one more minute before adding more liquid — you may not need it.

Remember: The flour “decides” how much liquid is needed. Recipes provide a guideline, but you must adjust based on the dough’s behavior.