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Challah!

This week's newsletter is short and sweet (literally): it's all about challah!

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I've been deep in challah development mode here longer than I care to admit. This is a challenging bread to create because it's at odds with itself.

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Challah should be soft, fluffy, and light, but when making it, the dough is braided to achieve its striking traditional appearance. So, how do you get a soft final loaf with somewhat firm dough and easy to braid (generally, soft bread means super soft dough)?

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It turns out, finding that balance required some serious tinkering with ingredient ratios, pre-cooking some of the flour, and perhaps most importantly, pushing fermentation for the best flavor and texture.

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The good news is, you don't need to worry about all that (unless you want to).

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I've written up the recipe—and included a step-by-step video—to make it super straightforward.

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If you've never made or eaten challah, you'll be surprised at how delicious and useful this bread is. Plus, it makes some of the best French toast I've ever eaten (dare I say on par with brioche?).

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Read on!

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In this week's newsletter:

• Recipe: New sourdough challah
• Essay: Why Challah Isn't Just Bread
• Baking Help: How can I keep dough warm in a cold kitchen? (Applies to this challah!)

☁️ Sourdough Challah

This sourdough challah checks all the boxes for what I was after: a dairy-free bread that's soft, fluffy, a touch sweet, and visually stunning with distinct braids. Seriously, isn't it lovely?

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💡 But! Even if you don't make this bread, I talk about all the decisions I made while developing the final recipe in the post. You'll learn about ingredient ratios, the tangzhong technique, and more.

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GET CHALLAH RECIPE

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🍞 Why Challah Isn't Just Bread

In this guest post, bread historian Eric Pallant takes us on a journey through one of Judaism’s most cherished culinary traditions—challah. While many know it as a staple of Jewish cuisine today, challah’s origins stretch back to biblical times, when it first emerged as a divine gift of sustenance.

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Eric's fascinating look at the historical and cultural significance of challah brings so much backstory to this delicious bread. Reading about its history really deepens the satisfaction and appreciation of baking your own.

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READ ALL ABOUT CHALLAH

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👋🏼 Join The Baker's Corner Community

Come chat with the best baking group on the 'net. In fact, members got early access to this recipe and provided me with helpful feedback when finalizing ingredients and ratios as we worked on this together. Plus, get all my baking software tools, the full recipe archives, and much more.

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JOIN THE COMMUNITY

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💬 Member Discussion of the Week

At 64°F inside, your dough is probably moving much slower, which explains the struggles with bulk fermentation. But don’t worry, you're not alone—this happens to many of us during the colder months (as you saw in my email!).

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Try warming your mixing water slightly to help the dough reach the right final temperature after mixing. Even just a few degrees can make a big difference. Another option is to use your oven with the light on as a makeshift proofing box—it’s a little trick I rely on when my kitchen feels like a freezer.

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🛟 2 Ways I Can Help You Today

• With the sourdough challah above, I use the poke test to determine when it's ready to bake. But this technique is also helpful for any bread you're baking, even if they're proofed in the fridge!
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• Want to bake sourdough just on the weekend? Check out my sample weekend baking schedule to do just that.

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I hope you love this sourdough challah and, at the same time, learn all about its history and significance. Let me know how it goes once you bake it!

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Maurizio Leo