Challah bread (or simply challah), popularly known as Sabbath Bread, is a braided bread that is consumed as a meal by the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews on festive occasions such as the Jewish Sabbath.

Preparation of Challah Bread

The traditional ingredients of the Challah bread are eggs, white flour, water and sugar. Modern versions of the bread have the white flour replaced with oat flour, whole wheat flour or spelt flour. Eggless versions of the bread are also made. Honey or molasses is used in place of sugar. Dough is made with the ingredients and shaped into long ropes which are braided together and baked after being brushed with an egg wash that holds the braids together and gives a yellow gloss to the bread.

Challah Bread Recipes

Modern challah bread recipes include unbraided varieties of the bread along with the braided ones. The bread is also made with raisins.

Alternative Names of Challah Bread

Challah bread is also known as Hallah or Challot( in plural). Challah bread is known by different names in different countries:

• Khale by the Eastern and Western Yiddish, and German
• Berches by the Swabian
• Barkis in Gotherburg
• Bergis is Stockholm
• Chalka in Poland
• Kitke in South Africa