Challah rolls are a soft and fluffy bread that are perfect for a variety of occasions. These braided rolls are often enjoyed during Jewish holidays, but they can be enjoyed any time of year. With their rich flavor and tender texture, challah rolls are a delicious addition to any meal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
With their braided strands and golden-brown crust, these rolls are both visually appealing and incredibly delicious. You can sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds on top before baking for a beautiful final presentation.
Whether you're serving them for breakfast, brunch, or as a side dish, challah rolls are sure to impress.
What Are Challah Rolls?
Challah rolls have a long history, dating back to ancient Egypt. The braided shape is said to represent the three loaves of bread offered on the Jewish altar. Today, challah rolls are enjoyed by people of all faiths and backgrounds.
The rich flavor and fluffy texture make them a popular choice for celebrations and everyday meals.
Challah rolls are made with no dairy products. Oil is used instead of butter for an enriched dough similar to brioche.
Ingredients Overview
The egg give the bread a buttery and indulgent taste without the addition of butter. This enriched dough is considered 'Pareve', or 'neutral'. That means with Jewish dietary laws, that challah breads can be eaten with either a meat or a dairy based meal.
The ingredients to make challah are typical everyday pantry ingredients:
- Water - warmed to activate the yeast.
- Active Yeast
- Honey - or plain white granulated sugar.
- Oil - a neutral vegetable oil, not olive oil.
- Eggs - for both the recipe and to brush on proofed rolls before baking.
- Flour - all purpose flour.
- Poppy Seeds, Nigella seeds, Sesame seeds - Optional, but the finishing tough to sprinkle on top of the egg washed Challah rolls right before baking.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Challah Rolls
This enriched bread dough is simple to make with yeast, flour, eggs, oil, water, and salt. The simplicity of the recipe makes is something you can prepare any day, every day.
I like to braid the rolls so they resemble small Challah Crowns, but you can also just make round dinner roll shapes!
Proof the Yeast
- Whisk together the warm water, dry active yeast, honey or sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a medium size mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast is all bubbly on the surface.
- Mix the beaten eggs and oil into the proofed and bubbly yeast mixture.
Prepare The Dough
- Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, and add the previously combined wet ingredients. Mix well with your hands or a dough mixer.
- Knead the dough (or let the dough machine do it) until smooth textured. Cover with a cloth, plastic wrap, or the lid of the dough kneader.
- Let the dough bulk proof for about 1 hour. My dough kneader refers to this stage as the 'ferment'. This is bulk proofing, or rising is where the yeast multiplies for your dough to be soft and fluffy later.
Divide And Shape The Challah Rolls
- Punch the dough down after the bulk proof stage, and knead it into a ball. Divide it into twelve equal sized balls.
- Divide each of the 12 balls into three smaller segments of dough and roll each segment into a noodle shape about 7 inches long.
Braid And Proof Challah Rolls
- Pinch three dough strip ends together just at one end and braid, pinching the ends together at the other end to secure.
- Tuck both end pieces of the braid underneath the braided roll, pinching the two ends together securely.
Brush With Egg and Bake
- Preheat your oven to 350F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with non stick cooking spray.
- Place the braided dough rolls on the prepared baking sheet, and brush each challah bun with beaten egg. Sprinkle poppy seeds, nigella seeds, or sesame seeds on the top of each roll.
- Cover lightly with a cloth or loose plastic film and set aside for the second proofing, about 1 hour. When doubled in size, place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve while hot!
Serving Suggestions
With these delicious and versatile challah rolls, you can enjoy a taste of tradition any day of the week. Serve challah rolls warm on the side of your main dish. Enjoy as a side dish with soups or stews.
Related Recipes
- Italian Panettone (Christmas Bread)
- No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- Banana Pineapple Bread
- Bread Maker Pumpkin Bread
- Jumbo Blueberry Muffins
Substitutions and Variations
- Use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar for a sweeter taste.
- Add raisins, chocolate chips, or cinnamon to the dough for additional flavor.
- Experiment with different braiding patterns or shape the dough into simple balls.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite equipment when making this challah rolls recipe.
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- Heavy Duty Dough Kneader & Proofer - This amazing mixer does literally all the work for you. It will handle doubled and tripled recipe sizes in the 6.5 quart mixing and proofing bowl! I have two of them, I love this more than my bread machine!
- Bread Machine with Additional Knead Only Function - For entry level, this basic bread machine has not only a 2 lb bread loaf capability, but it has some extra modes! You can use it to simply mix and knead small batches of doughs, from bread, biscuit, to pizza and noodle dough!
- Silpat Mat - Makes clean up after working with dough on a work surface a snap!
Storage Options
- Store leftover challah rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze leftover challah rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Tips for Success
- Use warm water that is about 105°F (40°C) to activate the yeast.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
- The egg wash is what give challah the glazed crust exterior. You can skip it, but it is part of an authentic challah rolls recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the Hebrew language the "ch" is pronounced simply "h", as in hello, or "Hallah".
Yes, you can cold proof the dough in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
Since flour and eggs can vary a little, you can adjust sticky dough with a few tablespoons of additional flour when kneading it on your work surface or kneading machine. Start with two tablespoons only, as this challah rolls recipe is supposed to be a soft dough.
More Bread Recipes
- Rosca de Reyes Wreath Bread
- Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Focaccia
- Decadent Round Chocolate Brioche
- Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Get the Recipe!
Everyday Challah Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water warmed
- 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¼ cup honey or sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil neutral, not olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 4⅓ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg beaten to brush on risen rolls
- 3 tablespoon seeds sesame, poppy, or nigella seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together the warm water, dry active yeast, honey or sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a medium size mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast is all bubbly on the surface.
- Mix the beaten eggs and oil into the proofed and bubbly yeast mixture.
- Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, and add the previously combined wet ingredients. Mix well with your hands or a dough mixer.
- Knead the dough (or let the dough machine do it) until smooth textured. Cover with a cloth, plastic wrap, or the lid of the dough kneader.
- Let the dough bulk proof for about 1 hour. My dough kneader refers to this stage as the 'ferment'. This is bulk proofing, or rising is where the yeast multiplies for your dough to be soft and fluffy later.
- Punch the dough down after the bulk proof stage, and knead it into a ball. Divide it into twelve equal sized balls.
- Divide each of the 12 balls into three smaller segments of dough and roll each segment into a noodle shape about 7 inches long.
- Pinch three dough strip ends together just at one end and braid, pinching the ends together at the other end to secure.
- Tuck both end pieces of the braid underneath the braided roll, pinching the two ends together securely.
- Preheat your oven to 350F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with non stick cooking spray.
- Place the braided dough rolls on the prepared baking sheet, and brush each challah bun with beaten egg. Sprinkle poppy seeds, nigella seeds, or sesame seeds on the top of each roll.
- Cover lightly with a cloth or loose plastic film and set aside for the second proofing, about 1 hour. When doubled in size, place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve while hot!
Notes
- You may need another 2 to 3 tablespoon of flour if kneading by hand on a counter work surface. Just enough to knead and shape into a smooth ball for bulk proofing.
- A dough kneader is a complete game changer for kneading, bulk proofing and final kneading. Worth every penny.
- A bread machine, even an economy one, will knead a 2 lb batch of dough easily!
- The egg wash is what give challah the glazed crust exterior. You can skip it, but it is part of authentic challah.
