By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen

Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.

Challah is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat. Sure, you might be able to buy a decent one at stores or bakeries, but the satisfaction (and aroma!) from making your own picture-perfect loaf can’t be beat. This rich, slightly sweet braided bread is the star of Friday-night Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah, but it’s also a lovely addition to any meal—or just for snacking. Plus, leftover challah is legendary. Use it to upgrade your French toast, bread pudding, stuffing and more. Follow our step-by-step instructions and add this classic to your baking repertoire.

What Is Challah?

Challah is a slightly sweet yeast bread enriched with eggs that’s an important part of many Jewish holidays, and also the Friday-night Shabbat meal.

It’s similar to French brioche but traditionally contains no dairy, such as milk or butter, in order to be pareve according to Kosher guidelines. It’s typically braided and brushed with an egg wash so it emerges from the oven shiny, bronzed and elegantly shaped. A three-strand braid is easy to learn and simple to do at home, although more intricate multi-strand braids and coils or crowns are also common.

How to Make Challah

Mixing and braiding challah is a snap once you know how. The photo guide below is based on our classic recipe for Perfect Challah, and you’ll find specific measurements there. It’s a hand-kneaded dough (no stand mixer and dough hook required) and makes two generous loaves, but the techniques here work for the majority of recipes you’ll come across.

Step one: Activate the yeast. Combine warm (110 degrees F) water and sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle active dry yeast over the top. Set aside until foamy.

Step two: Combine flour and wet ingredients. Put about a quarter of your flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, oil, salt and egg yolks and whole eggs until smooth. Pour the mixture into the well and stir to combine. Add the yeast mixture and remaining flour and stir to make a soft, shaggy dough.

Step three: Shape the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour if it’s sticky, until the dough is soft and supple, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and transfer to a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step four: Prepare the second rise. Once doubled in size, turn the dough out again onto a floured surface and knead for just 1 minute. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.

Step five: Cut the dough. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Cut the dough into six equal pieces.

Step six: Braid. Roll and stretch each piece into a rope 12 to 15 inches long. Arrange three ropes side by side on your work surface and pinch the tops together. Braid the dough by first crossing the right log over the middle log. Now cross the left log over what is now the middle log. Continue crossing the right and left sections over until you reach the end of the dough, pinching the ends to seal them.

Step seven: Prepare the third rise. Tuck the top and bottom ends of the dough underneath to neaten the loaf. Transfer it to one of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining three dough logs. Cover the loaves with kitchen towels and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step eight: Finish and bake. When ready to bake, position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Whisk an egg in a small bowl, then gently brush the egg all over the loaves. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or other seeds if desired. Bake, rotating the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking, until the bread is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the loaf registers 190 degrees F, 22 to 25 minutes.

Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing (it might be hard to resist!). The bread can be served warm or room temperature. Once completely cool, you can wrap the bread tightly and store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Related Links:

Homemade Bread Recipes

36 Recipes Perfect for Rosh Hashanah

Best Latke Recipes