Loaf Pan Challah

Challah is a traditional Jewish bread, made with an enriched dough, that has been braided and baked. This version is fluffy, incredibly soft, and slightly sweet with a simpler shaping technique that does not require braiding – an easy bake perfect for beginner bread bakers. I often make this loaf pan challah as an alternative to a braided challah, but it also makes for a delicious sandwich bread, or cut into thick slices for French toast. Makes 1 loaf of bread.

Ingredients:

• 350 grams all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 60 grams granulated white sugar
• 35 grams neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 170-190 grams water, plus more as needed
• 1 egg, for brushing on top (optional)

Instructions:

1. Make the dough: Place all of the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (start with the lower amount of water – 160 grams, and add more if the dough is very dry). Knead on low-medium speed for about 12 minutes, or until a smooth and slightly sticky dough forms. If kneading by hand, this will take about 15-20 minutes.
2. Form the dough into a ball, place it into a large bowl, and let it rise, covered, for 1-1.5 hours or until doubled.
3. Shape:
   • Punch the air out of the dough and divide into four equal parts (for the most accurate result, use a scale).
   • On a very lightly floured surface, roll one part of the dough out into a long rectangle that is the width of your loaf pan. Roll it up, starting with the narrow edge, to form a small cylindrical shape. Repeat with the other pieces.
   • Place the four rolls, seam side down, into a large parchment lined loaf pan.
   • Let rise, covered, for 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has puffed up significantly and bounces back slowly when poked.
4. About 10 minutes before the challah is fully risen, preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
5. Gently brush the top of your challah with the egg wash.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden brown. The internal temperature when baked should be about 90 degrees Celsius/ 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Let the challah cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove the challah from the pan to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Storage: Challah is best the day it is made, but can be stored, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for a few days or frozen for longer storage. Gently reheated in the microwave or oven it will be delicious, almost identical to fresh bread.
• Pan sizes: The challah in these images was baked in a 21cm (8 inch) loaf pan which makes for a tall slice, but it can be baked in almost any similar sized pan, or even traditonally braided and baked on a large baking sheet. Just keep in mind that different shapes and sizes of challah will require different bake times – the challah is ready when it is golden brown on the top and the bottom.
• Dough refrigeration: After the first rise, the dough can be covered and placed in the fridge for up to 12 hours. The second rise will take longer if you are working with cold dough.
• Egg wash: Brushing the challah with an egg wash before baking gives the crust a beautiful color and shine, as well as a more traditional challah flavor, but you can skip it for a fully vegan challah. After baking, lightly brush the top of the loaf with olive oil or butter.