I used to work at a Jewish-American style bakery. And everyday, I made loaves and loaves of challah bread. Braiding challah bread is so much fun, and kind of therapeutical in a way. This 4 strand challah bread is my favorite variety of the braids.

And I really recommend watching the video to learn how to braid the challah, however, I am going to show you some pictures below that can be helpful.

Basically, you will begin by lining up the four strands of challah next to each other.

Then pinch them together at the top.

First move is to cross over the first and last strands, by bringing the last strand to the first place on the left, and the first strand (which now became second) will move over to the last spot, all the way to the right.

From now on, the movements will be the same set of 4 actions over and over until you reach the end of the braid.

Transfer the first strand to the middle.

Then replace it with the third strand.

Transfer the last strand to the middle.

And replace it with the second strand.

Now go back to the top and repeat. First to the middle, replace with the third. Last to the middle, replace it with the second

I will say it again, watch the video on Youtube, or on this channel, and follow along as you are braiding, it will be a breeze!

It is much easier once you have the strands of challah in front of you and you follow along as you watch the video.

There are many challah recipes out there, and each has its own twist or technique. I believe in keeping it simple, straight forward, so that’s what I am focusing on.

Challah bread is simple and easy to make. From beginning to end it can take only 2 hours to make the bread, if you are familiar with yeast breads, and with the braiding. With practice you can get there! But again, even being a beginner baking, following along the video and my detailed instructions, you will succeed at making this delicious soft challah bread.

Tips on making Challah Bread

• You can use a stand mixer or your hands to make the bread. I like doing both, though the stand mixer does save some time. Kneading by hand will take about 10 to 12 minutes, and half of that time by using the stand mixer.
• Use instant yeast, not active. If all you have at hand is active yeast, then make sure to proof it first. To proof active yeast, make sure the water is warm (90 to 110ºF), and then mix the water, sugar, and yeast. Let this mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it bubbles up. Then add all of the other ingredients to the bowl and proceed with the regular mixing/kneading described in the recipe below.
• You can make the dough, and then immediately place it in the fridge (without letting it rise), and then remove on the next day, and proceed with shaping it into the loaves, let it rise again, and then bake.

Keep reading below for more tips

This recipe makes 1 large loaf, 2 medium loaves, or 3 smaller ones. You can even make rolls with this recipe. Baking time for the smaller ones will be lower than for the larger loaves.

The bread is done baking once the internal temperature measures 190 to 200ºF. Don’t over bake or it will be dry and hard.

Feel free to top the challah with any toppings of your liking, such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and even EBTB.

My favorite topping is the poppy seeds!

I like to brush the challah bread with egg wash twice before baking.

Brush the loaf with egg wash before proofing, and then once again after proofing.

We brush the loaves with egg wash before rising because at that point the dough will be more sturdy, and you will be able to get into all the crevices. Once the dough rises, it will be softer, and you will have to be more gentle with the brushing not to deflate the dough.

You can use whole egg wash to brush on the bread before baking, instead of egg white wash, as I indicate. The bread will have a more yellow color if using whole eggs. I prefer the looks with just the egg whites.