How to Make Challah With Crumble

Challah is a versatile, delicious and easy-to-make Jewish bread that can be used in a variety of ways. It is typically served plain, but you can also use it for sandwiches and toast or serve it with soups, stews and saucy braises. It is a great starter bread for those who want to learn how to make bread.

This easy, hands-off recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, if desired. Once you have the dough, knead it thoroughly for at least 15 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Then let it proof until it doubles in size.

Shape and braid the challah as you prefer (photos in this post show different shaping techniques). Place on a baking tray lined with a sheet of baking paper or mat and leave to rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Brush the challah with an egg wash (one egg slightly whisked in a bowl) and sprinkle with your preferred topping (optional).

Bake for about 25 minutes until golden and cooked through. If your challah is too dark before the end of the cooking time, tent it with foil and return to the oven for an extra 5 minutes.

You can make the challah in advance and store it in the fridge, if desired. Once it is ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F.

The dough for this recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance, and kept in the refrigerator. You will need to add an additional 10 minutes of kneading time after removing the dough from the refrigerator, as it may be too sticky to work with.

This recipe is a simple challah, and you can eat it plain as a sandwich bread or use it to make dinner rolls, burgers, French toast or even cinnamon babka. It is a tasty and light alternative to other breads.

To prepare the challah, knead the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Once the challah has risen, brush it with an egg wash and top with a generous sprinkle of crumbs.

For more texture and a sweet, sticky glaze, you can mix some honey or maple syrup into the egg wash before brushing on the challah. This is a fun way to customize your challah with a special ingredient.

This is my favorite way to make challah, and it is so simple to do! I made this with just a handful of ingredients. I used a combination of toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds and everything bagel seasoning for the crumbs on top, but you can easily substitute with your own favourite mix.

I made this for Rosh Hashanah and it was a hit with my family and friends! The roasted apple filling and the streusel topping is the perfect combination. I am looking forward to making this again for Thanksgiving!