Golden Perfection: Bake A Fluffy Challah Rolls Tradition

There is a delicious challah rolls tradition in the Jewish kitchen, well, the Jewish Israeli kitchen to be exact. It’s called Friday sandwich. Friday is the day spent cooking and baking for the very anticipated shabbat dinner and by lunch time everyone is speeding to the kitchen for the ultimate fresh challah sandwich filled with all the delicious homemade goods like saucy meatballs or juicy chicken schnitzel.

Challah rolls maintain the fluffy soft interior of the challah dough and are perfect vessel for a drippy loaded homemade sandwich, not to mention they are fun, super easy to make and are beautiful golden addition to any dinner table.

For this recipe, I am using my Vegan challah dough because it yields a large amount (perfect for a large gatherings and the jewish holidays) in a short time period and with not much preparations. But, you can use any challah bread recipe, like my Bakery Style Challah, or my Challah Loaf recipe. 

Ingredients

For The Dough

• Unbleached all-purpose flour. Or a combination of unbleached all-purpose flour and bread flour.
• Instant yeast. For active dry yeast alternative see the notes in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
• Sugar and salt. Both are critical for the success of the recipe, so pay attention to the amounts.
• Lukewarm water. At about 90F. Dip your finger to make sure the water is not too hot. Hot water might kill the yeast
• Vegetable oil. Olive oil might be too bitter for this recipe.

Topping options

Topping the rolls is optional.

• Egg, for egg wash. For a vegan option, mix 1/3 cup of plant base milk with 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee. For a deeper golden brown topping, use only the egg yolk.
• Sesame seeds.
• Poppy seeds.
• Everything but the bagel seasoning.
• Kosher salt.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Dough

1. Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl (or a bowl of a stand mixer), then mix in the yeast, sugar and salt.
2. Drizzle in the water alternating with the oil while string the flour mixture using a wooden spoon or your hand. 
3. ​Knead the dough until you have a smooth dough, about 4 minutes if by hand, or 2-3 minutes if using a hand mixer.
4. Spray the dough with oil, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for the first dough rise.

Shape the Rolls

I divided the dough into 12 parts, each piece of dough approx. 100g. You can decide on the size of each roll, and even use the dough to make mini challah rolls.

1. Uncover the dough and gently punch it with your hand. 
2. Place it over a clean work surface and divide it to 12 equal parts.
3. Roll and shape to the desire shape and place each roll over a prepared baking sheet. 
4. Brush with the egg wash, topp with your choice of topping and set a side for the second dough proof. 

How To Shape The Rolls

Here are my favorite ways to knot challah dinner rolls, you can also just roll each portion of dough into a round ball, like these Brioche Dinner Rolls.

Easy Flower knots 

1. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
2. Roll each piece into a rope about 12 inches long.
3. Create a U shape and cross the ends.
4. Tuck the bottom end through the hole from the top strand.
5. Tuck the other end from the bottom, allowing it to pick from the center.

​A single stand braid

1. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
2. Roll each piece into a 16-inch long rope.
3. Bend the top end at about the one third mark and lay the end over the dough. Now it looks like the number 9.
4. Bring the bottom end through the loop over and under, leaving a “tail”.
5. Grab the left side of dough and twist it away from you towards the “tail”.
6. Bring the tail through the loop, then tuck it in under the dough.

Add Topping and Bake

This is my trick for a fast and efficient way to top my braided challah buns. If you are not using any topping, feel free to skip this and brush the challah knots with a pastry brush.

1. Beat the egg in a medium bowl, and fill separated bowls with your choice of toppings.
2. Dip the top of each roll into the egg wash, then into your choice of topping.
3. Line over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper leaving enough space between each roll.
4. Set a side in a warm place to rest for the second rise.

Tips

• For the best result, use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients, and the size of the rolls. If you don’t have one, use a fork to aerate the flour, then use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Do not press the flour once you added it to the cup.
• Consistent Sizes: Use a kitchen scale to ensure your rolls are uniform in size.
• Sweeter Rolls: If you prefer a sweeter challah, increase the sugar to 1/2 cup.

Store, Freeze, and Yields

Store: The rolls are best the same day and can be stored at room temperature for up to three days in a plastic bag.
Freeze: To freeze, wrap the rolls tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. They will keep for up to 2 months. To thaw, unwrap the frozen rolls and let them sit at room temperature or warm them in a low oven.
Yields: This recipe makes 12-15 beautifully soft and fluffy challah rolls. Or, 18-24 mini rolls.