Homemade Challah Bread in a Loaf Pan
This soft, slice-and-eat challah bread is made with all-purpose flour and baked in a standard loaf pan. It’s simple to prepare by hand, and yields a golden loaf with a light, fluffy crumb. Ideal for sandwiches, french toast, or just enjoying warm with a pat of butter!
Servings 2 8" loafs
Ingredients
- 4 Cups (500g) AP Flour
- 1 TBS (10g) Instant yeast
- 2 TBS (25g) Sugar
- 2 TBS (30ml) Vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 Large Egg at room temperature
- 1-1 1/4 Cup (240-360ml) Lukewarm water
- 1 large Egg, well beaten for egg wash
Instructions
- In a large bowl or a bowl of a standing mixer sift the flour (500g), yeast (10g), sugar (25g), salt (2 teaspoons), oil (30ml), and egg.
- Drizzle in 1 cup of water and using the paddle attachment, a wooding spoon (or your hands) mix the ingredients into a shaggy mass.
- Remove any access dough from the wooden spoon and keep kneading the dough with your hands until soft and smooth. About 5-7 minutes.
- Place the dough back in the bowl, spray with oil spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plastic bag.
- Allow the dough to rest and rise until double in size (1.5-3 hours)
- Remove dough from the bowl and release air. Divide dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 12" log.
- Grease two 8-inch loaf pans and line with parchment paper.
- Braid 2 challahs and place each challah in a greased 8" loaf pan.
- Brush loaves with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds and let rest and rise for about 3-4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400F and bake loaves for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and keep baking for an additional 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and remove loaves from the pan. Place on a cooling rack.
If the mixture is dry and not coming together, or you notice dry flour, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time.
If using a stand mixer, replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook, and knead for 2-3 minutes.