Challah

Bryan Ford's recipe for this delicious Jewish sourdough makes a gorgeous holiday centerpiece

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100 Grams Mature Sourdough Starter

200 Grams Bread Flour (for Levain build)

150 Grams Warm Water (for Levain build)

400 Grams Water (for final dough mix)

350 Grams Levain

2 Eggs (for final dough mix)

1 Egg yolk

25 Grams Olive Oil, plus more for brushing

700 Grams Bread Flour (for final dough mix)

200 Grams All-Purpose Flour

100 Grams Spelt Flour

100 Grams Light Brown Sugar

15 Grams Salt

1 Egg (for Egg Wash)

1 Splash Water (for Egg Wash)

1 Pinch Salt

Side Dish

To build the levain:

  1. In a tall jar or medium bowl, mix the mature starter, flour, and warm water until incorporated.
  2. Cover with a lid or clean kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size. You can use your levain immediately, or refrigerate it for 12 hours to use later or the next day. 

To make the final dough mix:

  1.  In a large bowl, combine the water and levain to dissolve the levain.
  2. Add the eggs, egg yolk, and oil. Whisk to combine.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, brown sugar, and salt until evenly blended. Add these dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until incorporated. Knead this dough for a good 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Cover the dough and let ferment at room temperature for 4 hours. Refrigerate the dough for 15 hours more.

To shape and proof the dough:

  1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Remove the dough from the fridge and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  3. Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface, divide it into 5 pieces, and shape each piece using the balling up technique. Let the dough balls rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Elongate each dough ball into along, skinny tube using the palm of your hand to rock the dough back and forth, applying a little pressure. When it gets long enough, use two hands. The final pieces should be about 15 inches (38 cm) long, but don’t worry if they are shorter if your dough is not as strong.
  5. Braid your challah: Pinch all the strands together at one end. Move the strands from the right into the center. Repeat with the left side. Get creative here and don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect. Place your braided challah on the prepared sheet pan. Using a pastry brush, coat the challah with a little bit of oil.
  6. Cover the challah with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature for 3 hours.

To make the egg wash:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, water, and salt until blended. Set aside.

To bake the bread:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Using a pastry brush, coat the challah loaf with the egg wash.
  3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on top. 

You can read more about Chef Bryan Ford in Swathi Reddy's story from our December 2021 issue, and you can buy his book (and find more recipes) at artisanbryan.com.