Challah

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 3–4 eggs, whole, plus 1 extra for egg wash
• 80 ml neutral oil, vegetable or canola; not olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 7 g dried yeast, or equivalent fresh
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 pinch saffron, bloomed in 2 tbsp warm water
• For the egg wash
• 1 egg, beaten
• To serve
• 1 small dish flaky salt, for dipping

Method

1. 1
   Bloom the saffron in 2 tbsp warm water. Combine the flour, yeast, and fine salt in a large bowl. In a separate vessel, whisk together 3–4 eggs, the neutral oil, and the honey, then add the saffron water. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky — 8–10 minutes by hand or 5–6 minutes with a dough hook. The dough is ready when it passes the windowpane test: a small piece stretched thin holds without tearing.
2. 2
   Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to prove at room temperature until doubled in volume. The surface should dome and feel airy and fragile when pressed lightly with a fingertip.
3. 3
   Divide the dough into six equal strands for each loaf. Roll each strand to an even rope, thicker at the centre and tapered at the ends. Lay three strands (for a three-strand braid) or six strands side by side, pinch the tops together firmly, and braid to the end, pinching and tucking the base. Use the minimum of flour on the work surface — excess flour on the strands prevents the joins from sealing and the braid will separate in the oven. The strands must adhere at every crossing point.
4. 4
   Transfer the braided loaves to a lined baking sheet. Apply the first coat of beaten egg wash over the entire surface, including all folds and crevices. This is where the dish lives or dies: a second wash applied just before baking — not only this first coat — is what produces the deep lacquered mahogany gloss that is the visual and textural signature of excellent challah; a single wash yields a pale, matt result. Set aside and allow the loaves to prove again for 30–45 minutes until noticeably puffy and the individual strands have swelled and separated slightly.
5. 5
   Preheat the oven, and a baking stone if available, to 190 °C. Apply the second egg wash immediately before loading the loaves. The surface should appear uniformly glossy with no dry patches. Bake until the crust is a deep amber-brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
6. 6
   Remove from the oven and rest on a wire rack for a minimum of 30 minutes before cutting. The crumb must set; cutting while warm compresses the soft interior. The loaf is ready when the surface no longer radiates intense heat and the crumb holds its structure cleanly when sliced.