Sourdough Challah Bread

ByNatalya Syanova
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Challah is my favorite breakfast bread, and it is perfect for French toast. The flavor is pleasantly sweet, and the texture is incredibly soft. Sourdough challah bread can also be made with raisins or chocolate chips for additional flavor. One of the reasons I enjoy challah so much is its rich history and unique preparation process. Traditionally, challah is a braided bread that is often served during special occasions and family gatherings. The braiding gives the loaf an attractive appearance and helps create its light, fluffy texture. When used for French toast, challah absorbs the egg mixture well without becoming soggy, resulting in a delicious balance of crispness on the outside and softness on the inside. The slight sweetness of the bread pairs perfectly with toppings such as maple syrup, fresh fruit, powdered sugar, or whipped cream. Whether enjoyed plain or with added ingredients, challah is a versatile bread that makes breakfast feel special. Its golden crust and tender crumb make every bite enjoyable, while the sourdough fermentation adds a subtle tangy flavor that complements both sweet and savory breakfast toppings perfectly.

Ready in: 
48 hours		Serves: 
12-15 people
Yield:  
2 x 400g Challahs 		Units: 
US, EU

Ingredients

Sourdough starter 

Dough

  • 560g bread flour (100%) (+/-40 g of flour depends on the strength of your flour)
  • 210g water (38%)
  • 112g sourdough starter/levain (20%)
  • 1 large egg (9-10%)
  • 80g sugar (14%)
  • 10g salt (2%)
  • 60g oil without flavor (10%)
  • 0.5 g dry yeast (optional, to reduce sourness)
  • 1 egg for egg-wash

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).
Starter

Day 2

Dough

  • 8 am mix water, egg, sugar, sourdough starter (112g at its peak, use the rest for future feedings), all the flour, let it autolyse for 1 hour.
  • During the autolyse process the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
  • 9 am mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Add salt, mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should come up together.
  • Slowly pour oil , mix for 15 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together. 

If the dough looks too sticky, add a little more flour. If it’s too stiff, you can add some water (depending on the strength of your flour)

  • Perform a windowpane test. Wet your hands and stretch the dough. You should be able to stretch it thin, that’s a sign of a well developed gluten, and that your final product will have a soft and light structure.
  • Cover and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
  • During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
  • The dough should become slightly puffy.
  • 1 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation till next morning.

Day 3

  • Remove the dough from the fridge.
  • Braid it the way you like. 
  • I divided the dough in 12 equal pieces and braided 2 separate braids.
  • Put a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of your baking tray.
  • Transfer the shaped challahs into a 2 separate trays.
  • Cover the dough and let it proof for 5-6 hours at 76-80F /24-28C until it doubles in volume.
  • Prepare the egg wash ( mix an egg with little of water and a pinch of salt).
  • Spread egg wash all over the challah.
  • Preheat the oven to 375F, bake for 45 min without steam until golden brown.
Challah
Sourdough Challah bread

Enjoy 🙏🏻

Sourdough Challah Bread

3315kcal
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Prep 45 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 1 day 4 hours
Total 1 day 5 hours 30 minutes
Pleasantly sweet, intensely rich, and boasting an incredibly soft, shreddable texture, this traditional holiday loaf leverages a long cold-fermentation window to balance richness and flavor. Enriched with whole egg, granulated sugar, and a neutral oil matrix, it omits dairy entirely to remain traditional, yielding a striking braided loaf that serves as the ultimate base for French toast.
Cuisine Jewish / Sweet Sourdough

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter (Levain)
  • 10 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 60 g Water
  • 60 g Bread flour
The Enriched Challah Dough
  • 560 g Bread flour (100% – Reserve an extra 40g if your dough feels overly sticky during oil mixing)
  • 210 g Water (38% baseline hydration)
  • 112 g Active levain (20% – From the stage above)
  • 1 Large egg (approx. 50g) (9%)
  • 80 g Granulated sugar (14%)
  • 10 g Fine sea salt (2%)
  • 60 g Flavorless neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable oil) (10%)
  • 0.5 g Dry instant yeast (Optional – used purely to diminish sharp sour notes)
The Golden Glaze
  • 1 Large egg (beaten with a splash of water and a pinch of salt for egg wash)

Equipment

  • Flat Baking Sheet (Or two separate baking trays to give the braided loaves ample space to expand horizontally)
  • Stand Mixer (Highly recommended to cleanly emulsify the dense sugar, egg, and oil matrices into the flour)
  • Kitchen Scale
  • Bench Scraper (Essential for dividing the dough cleanly into uniform braiding strands)
  • Pastry Brush
  • Parchment Paper

Method

Night Before – Levain Stabilization
  1. 10:00 PM – Starter Initialization: In a clean glass jar, whisk the 10g of starter culture into 60g of room-temperature water until completely loose. Add the 60g of bread flour and mix thoroughly until no dry spots remain. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the levain bubbles aggressively and at least triples in volume.
Day 2 – The Low-Hydration Autolyse & Intensive Oil Mixing
  1. 8:00 AM – The Grand Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine all 210g of water, 1 large egg, 80g of granulated sugar, and 112g of your active overnight levain. Whisk briefly to dissolve the sugar, then add all 560g of bread flour (along with the optional 0.5g of dry yeast if using). Mix everything together with a heavy spoon until a very dense, stiff, shaggy mass forms. Cover and let rest for 1 full hour to complete the autolyse and hydrate the flour proteins.
  2. 9:00 AM – Primary Gluten Mixing: Secure the bowl onto your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the autolysed dough on a low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated. Add the 10g of fine sea salt and continue mixing for an additional 2 minutes until the dough forms a tighter, cohesive ball.
  3. The Slow Oil Emulsification: Turn your mixer up to medium speed and slowly drizzle in the 60g of flavorless neutral oil in a very thin, gradual stream. Once all the oil is introduced, increase the speed and mix continuously for 15 minutes. The dough will look slippery and separated at first but will gradually absorb the oil completely, clearing the sides of the bowl to reveal a smooth, highly elastic surface. *Note: If the dough looks persistently wet or sticky after 12 minutes, add up to 40g of extra bread flour; if it feels like a solid brick, add a small splash of water.*
  4. The Windowpane Verification: Wet your hands with water, pinch a portion of the dough, and stretch it gently upward. It should stretch into a translucent, paper-thin windowpane membrane without tearing, signaling proper gluten formation.
  5. Bulk Proof with Intervals: Cover the container tightly and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C). During this window, perform 2 gentle rounds of stretches and folds to organize the dough’s internal strength. The dough should look visibly smoother and slightly puffy.
  6. 1:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Slide the entire covered container directly into the refrigerator to rest slowly until the next morning. This cools the oils and solidifies the structure, making it much easier to shape.
Day 3 – Precision Strand Braiding & The Long Final Rise
  1. The Next Morning – Dividing the Portions: Remove the chilled, firm dough directly from your refrigerator. Tip it onto a clean work surface—there is no need to wait for it to warm up, as cold dough is vastly easier to handle. Using a bench scraper and a kitchen scale, divide the dough cleanly into 12 equal portions.
  2. Rope Tension Shaping: Take a portion of dough and pat it into a small rectangle, then roll it up tightly away from you into a cylinder. Roll and stretch the cylinder firmly against the counter using the palms of your hands to form a smooth, uniform rope roughly 9 to 10 inches long. Repeat for all 12 portions.
  3. Braiding the Loaves: Gather 6 ropes together and pinch them securely at the top. Braid them using your preferred method (such as a standard 3-strand or advanced 4/6-strand weave) into a tight, uniform loaf. Tuck the bottom ends cleanly underneath the loaf. Repeat with the remaining 6 ropes to form a second separate loaf.
  4. The Warm Final Proof: Line two separate flat baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer your shaped challahs carefully onto the trays. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let the loaves proof for 5 to 6 hours at a warm room temperature of 76–80°F (24–28°C) until they completely double in volume, swelling until the braided strands look extraordinarily light, airy, and soft.
Day 3 (Afternoon) – The Lustrous Holiday Bake
  1. Baking Cycle: Preheat your home oven to 375°F (190°C). In a small bowl, whisk together your egg wash components (1 egg, a splash of water, and a pinch of salt). Using a pastry brush, gently coat the entire surface of your beautifully risen challah loaves with a generous layer of egg wash, ensuring you get cleanly into all the braided creases.
  2. The Deep Golden Finish: Slide the baking sheets onto the center racks of your oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes without steam. The crust should puff dramatically and turn a uniform, shiny, deep mahogany-golden brown. Transfer the baked loaves onto a wire rack and let them cool completely before tearing or slicing.

Nutrition

Calories3315kcalCarbohydrates554gProtein89gFat79gSaturated Fat9gPolyunsaturated Fat23gMonounsaturated Fat42gTrans Fat0.3gCholesterol327mgSodium4029mgPotassium749mgFiber16gSugar82gVitamin A488IUCalcium154mgIron7mg

Notes

– **The Non-Dairy Challah Tradition:** Traditional Jewish Challah is intentionally made without any dairy products (such as milk or butter) to ensure it remains *pareve* (neutral under kosher dietary laws), allowing it to be served alongside meat dishes during holiday meals. Utilizing a flavorless neutral oil combined with whole eggs delivers an incredibly rich, moist, and tender crumb structure without requiring milk solids.
– **Why Cold Dough Dominates Braiding:** Enriched doughs packed with sugar and oil become soft, slack, and sticky very quickly at room temperature. Attempting to roll individual ropes and braid them while the dough is warm will result in stretched-out, lopsided strands that stick to your hands. Working with the dough immediately out of its overnight refrigerator chill keeps the oils solid, allowing you to roll sharp, taut ropes and weave a highly defined braid.
– **The Power of the 6-Hour Final Proof:**Because Challah dough is structurally heavy and low-hydration (38% baseline liquid offset by egg and oil fats), wild yeasts require significantly more time to lift the matrix than standard lean artisan loaves. Do not rush the final 5 to 6-hour ambient room temperature proof. The loaves must look completely doubled, puffy, and fragile; baking them too early will cause the braids to split violently in the oven, ruining the uniform braided aesthetic.
– **The Chemistry of the Salted Egg Wash:** Adding a small pinch of fine sea salt directly into your egg wash serves a practical chemical purpose. The sodium liquefies the thick egg white proteins (albumen), breaking down clumps so the wash thins out into a perfectly smooth fluid. This lets you brush a flawless, uniform layer over the braids that bakes into a high-gloss, lacquer-like shine without any thick, rubbery egg patches.

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29 Comments

  1. Natasha, thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I only have a question, after removing the dough from the fridge should I wait until it comes to the room temp before the shaping?

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      Thank you for your feedback !
      It’s easier to work with cold dough.
      So you don’t have to wait until it will warm up.

      Reply

      1. Hi, Natasha! thank you for your answer. I tried the challah and it is absolutely delicious, I will make it again for sure 🙂

  2. Thank you for this! I’m practicing for the Jewish high holidays. Do you use the dough hook on the mixer?

    Reply

      1. Thank you! I got confused when trying the recipe about the autolyse – do you properly mix in the flour? I only ask because when i went to add the oil, it wouldn’t mix in and I had to bin the whole thing.

      2. You have to mix ingredients for autolyse, let the gluten to start developing and then add salt and butter,
        It might take about 10 min to mix everything together

  3. Hola Natasha, estoy siguiendo tu receta en estos momentos, gracias y saludos… ya te mostrare como quedó!

    Reply

  4. Hi Natasha! Thanks for all your recipes! If I wanted to add toppings to this, when would you recommend? When all ingredients are mixed in or during folds?

    Reply

  6. Hi Natasha. Thank you for sharing ur fabulous recipe. Can it be made without the egg? Would you add extra oil or water to make up for the lost liquid?

    Reply

  7. Hola Natasha,
    Hoy preparé el challah para la cena de shabat y quedó maravilloso!
    Es ell mejor challah que hice hasta ahora.

    Reply

  9. Hi Natasha,

    This morning I started making this recipe and made a mistake right away: I had too little sourdough, aprox. 10%. I had already mixed in all the other ingredients and did not want to throw it away, so I added 2g fresh yeast hoping it would make up for the missing sourdough. Do you think it will work? Do I need to adjust anything else?

    Reply

    1. Annika, hi!
      Sorry, I’m probably too late. But you did all good.
      Also if only 10% of starter was added, it would work too. With longer proofing time.

      Reply

  10. This turned out beautifully!!!! So easy! I divided my dough into two loaves like you, but took them out of the oven with about ~12 minutes to go and they were definitely done so I’d recommend people keeping an eye on the oven during baking!

    Reply

    1. Siri! Thank you so much for your feedback. Glad you liked it. And thank you for the temperature tip 🙏

      Reply

  11. Good day, Natasha! Thank you for the recipe. I would have a question, won’t be wrong adding some water after autolyse, meaning 210g+30g(as an example)? It seems like my dough needed more water as it became more plumpy , I mentioned that your dough was much more hydrated .
    All in all, challas are baken tasty and pretty good! Thanks for your answer and sharing the recipe!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your comment! i used olive for this recipe, but you can also use other oils such as vegetable oil or coconut oil depending on your preference. Let me know if you have any other questions!

      Reply

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