My mum and I have experimented with our challah recipe over the past few years. We’ve tried chocolate, cinnamon, poppyseed, but we always come back to her usual recipe. For Shabbat, we make two, but this is how to make one loaf.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 7 grams of dry yeast (typically one sachet)
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup of honey
• 3 tbsp of oil
• 1 tsp of salt
• 4 cups of flour (add the flour slowly towards the end; you’ll know if you need more or less)

For the egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp of honey
• 1 tbsp of vanilla

Directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in a half cup of warm water in a bowl. Let it sit for about 15 minutes until it’s frothy. 
2. Add the egg, honey, oil, salt, remaining half cup of water, and 3 cups of the flour. Mix until a loose batter forms. 
3. Add the rest of the flour. Go slowly towards the end. You may need slightly more or less. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
4. Once the dough has enough flour, knead it for a couple of minutes. If you can, do this by hand. If not, a stand mixer will work.
5. Cover the dough and place it in a warm place to rise for an hour and a half; it should double in size. 
6. Punch the dough down and let it rest for another 10 minutes. 
7. Separate the dough into three parts and roll them into long strands. Braid the strands and tuck the ends underneath to tidy it. 
8. Place the challah on a baking tray and let it rise for another hour. 
9. Beat the egg with the honey and vanilla and gently brush over the loaves. Bake at 180°c for approximately 35-45 minutes. The challah should be golden on top, and firm on the bottom.

Image credit: Macy Hall