Best Oil Free Challah Recipes

PERFECT CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine flour, sugar, yeast, salt, eggs, oil, and 1 cup of water.
• Using a bread hook, knead, adding the water about a quarter cup at a time.
• The dough should be wet and sticky but pulling away from the side.
• Cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place. Let the dough rise until double in size (about 45 minutes).
• Remove the dough and divide it in half. Take one half and braid on a floured surface. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Place both on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Let rise until double in size (about 45 minutes).
• Preheat the oven to 350°F or 175°C.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

OIL FREE CHALLAH

Steps:

• Put ingredients in the bread maker in the order suggested by the manufacturer (usually wet ingredients and salt, followed by dry ingredients, and then yest) Run the dough cycle on the bread machine.
• Grease and flour a round cake pan.
• Lay the dough out on a floured surface and cover hands in flour.
• Grab pieces of dough, make them into balls, and arrange the balls in the pan, putting more flour on your hands as needed.
• Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it double in size, about an hour.
• If you brush the bread with the egg mixture before baking, it will have a glossy surface.
• Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

OLIVE OIL CHALLAH

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine orange juice and 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit until frothy, about 5 minutes.
• Add oil, 2 eggs, 1 yolk, the sugar, the salt and the zest, if using, and beat with a dough hook until just combined. Add in flour, 1 cup/125 grams at a time, until dough comes together into a sticky mass. You may or may not use all of the flour, so at the end, add it gradually. The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl but not be at all stiff. You're looking for a slightly sticky, soft dough.
• Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl and turn the dough over. Cover bowl with a clean dish towel and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. (It may take longer in colder kitchens.) Press down dough to expel all the air, cover bowl, and let rise for another 45 minutes.
• In a small bowl, make egg wash by combining the remaining 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water. To make a classic braided challah, cut dough into three equal pieces and roll them each into ropes 12 inches long. Or, to make a braided round loaf, cut dough into six equal pieces and roll them each into thinner ropes 12 inches long.
• Braid the challah: If you are making a classic challah with three ropes, just braid them into a loaf, tucking the edges under. To braid it into a round loaf, first lay three ropes parallel to one another on the work surface, leaving 1 inch between them. Take one of the remaining ropes and hold it perpendicular to the three ropes, across the center. Weave that rope through the three ropes, as if you were creating a lattice for a pie; leave the edges free. Repeat with remaining two ropes. The resulting shape should look somewhat like a pound or number sign, but with a woven center. Then, starting from the ends of the three ropes closest to you, braid the loose edges of the ropes and pinch the ends together. Repeat with the remaining ends of the ropes; you should end up with a lattice in the middle with 4 braids radiating out from it. Tuck the braids underneath the lattice to create a round loaf, place on a small rimmed baking sheet, then brush with egg wash. Let rise uncovered for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle. Gently brush a second coat of egg wash on the dough, then bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until challah is a deep rich brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. (When it starts smelling like freshly baked bread, start checking.) Cool on a wire rack before serving.