Can you believe it's Easter again? It is one of my favorite holidays, especially now that I have kids I get to relive the fun egg hunts and the joy through them.
In El Salvador I remember spending this specific Holiday at the beach, and we would crack Easter eggs filled with confetti on people’s heads. Now that I live in the US that tradition has changed, and I feel like I also put more importance in the meal.
This year since I’m on a baking journey, I wanted to give challah bread a try. I know it's a very traditional bread to make for Easter. The first time I heard of this particular bread was from my sister and since then I’ve always wanted to give it a try. It is a simple recipe, and really the hard part is braiding it 😂 or at least that’s where I struggled the most.
For those of you who are not familiar with Challah, its very similar to brioche bread in texture but instead of milk or butter, it is made with eggs. The fat in the eggs definitely give it moisture and a different flavor in my opinion.
Unlike other recipes, I am not really nervous to do this one, so I hope it turns out great.
DIRECTIONS
- In a big mixing bowl mix the lukewarm water with yeast and a tablespoon of sugar with a handheld mixer for about 5 mins until it gets foamy.
- Add oil, remaining sugar and slightly beaten eggs to combine
- Add the flour cup by cup, let it combine. Once all is combined, place the dough in a clean and floured surface and knead until smooth (it took me around 8 mins)
- Clean and oil the mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for an hour until it has almost doubled in size.
- Once the hour has passed you’re going to literally punch the dough in the middle to let some air out, cover it again and let it rest for another 30 mins
- Put the dough on a surface and cut it in half, and then each half in 6 equal pieces. Roll out those six sections into 16 inch long pieces.
- Now we’re going to braid them. Align them vertically towards you and pinch them together on the top. You are going to separate them like the picture below:
- Grab the strand 1 and place it in the middle next to strand 4, your strands will look like this:
- Then grab strand 6 and place it in the middle close right next to strand 3, now it’ll look like this:
- Now you will repeat steps 8 and 9 with the outer strands, so for example now strand 2 will have to go in the middle next to 1. Then 5 will go next to number 6. Once you reach the end pinch the ends and tuck it under, and your braid should look like this:
- Place your challahs in a parchment lined baking sheet and beat the remaining egg. Brush the egg on the challahs, make sure you get the sides and let them rest for another hour. Once the hour is up, use the remaining egg wash to brush it one last time.
- Warm up your oven at 375 F and bake the challahs for 30-35 mins until golden brown, or when internal temperature is 190 F. Let them cool off in a rack and ENJOY :)
Surprisingly this was easier than I thought - like most baking it takes a long time and patience, but it truly pays off! This recipe makes 2 challahs which is perfect if you’re having a big group of people come over to celebrate Easter. For me and my family one loaf is enough, so I made some french toast with the remainder, it was delicious. I definitely motivate you to give this recipe a try, it is pretty easy and really the hardest part was the braid. There’s nothing like having fresh bread just out the oven, it really is one of the many pleasures in life. Feel free to drop down any questions in the comments. Happy Easter!!!
TIPS & TRICKS
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Use a stand mixer if available to you, will save you the workout.
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Add toppings if you’d prefer. Sesame seeds are the most traditional way, but you can add pretty much anything.
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There’s various methods of braiding a Challah, if you have the patience and will I definitely recommend trying other ones!