Pull-Apart Challah
Tips
When rolling out the challahs, make sure to keep the dough balls covered so they don’t dry out, which will make them harder to work with.
Don’t use a very expensive olive oil here. A middle-of-the-road one should work just fine.
The bread is excellent fresh out of the oven. But to rewarm, cover with foil and place in a 300F oven for about 10 minutes.
1 tray of challah
Adapted from Adeena Sussman’s recipe in her cookbook “Shabbat”
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water around 110° F (117g)
1/2 cup (100g) + 2 tbsp sugar, separated
Two 1/4-ounce 7-gram packets active dry yeast (14 g)
1/2 cup olive oil (110g)
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
4 large eggs, separated
6 cups all‑purpose flour (780 g), plus more as needed
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt (14g)
Mix of spices, seeds, salts for on top (za’atar, everything bagel, sesame, poppy seed, cumin seed, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, flaky salt, fresh or dried herbs, etc.)
Special Equipment
Stand-mixer (you can also do by hand, obviously this is more work)
Directions
Proof the yeast: In a measuring cup, mix the 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, and 2 tbsp sugar. Let proof for 5 minutes until foamy.
Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the yeast, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, olive oil, and turmeric. Mix briefly to homogenize. Add the salt and flour. Mix on medium-low speed for 10-12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should be neither too sticky nor too dry (adjust by adding more water or more flour to adjust if necessary). Cover bowl with a moist kitchen towel and let double in size in a warm spot, about 1.5 hours.
Form the challahs: Scrape out dough from the bowl. Divide into 8 equal portion. Working with 1 dough ball at a time while keeping the rest covered with the moist kitchen towel, divide the dough into 3 equal smaller portions. Roll each into a long snake about 12-14” long (doesn’t need to be exact). Pinch the 3 snakes together at one end and braid. Transfer mini challah to a parchment-lined half-sheet tray. Repeat with 7 remaining dough balls. Cover tray and let rise until puffed, about 45 minutes.
Bake: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F with a rack in the middle position. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl. Uncover challah and brush with egg. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp of a different spice, spice blend, or seed on each challah. I also like to hit each one with flaky salt, too. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely or serve warm.
