Give this challah recipe a try and your home will be filled with the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon. So good, your guests won't leave before asking you: May I Have That Recipe?
Apple and Honey Challah for Rosh Hashanah Video
If you're getting ready for the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashanah (like we are), I’m sure you’re in the kitchen right now preparing some stuff, or working on that grocery list. Or, if you are a last-minute kind of person (like we are), you’re on the internet looking up some recipes.
And just in case there aren’t enough “apples and honey” recipes out there, here’s one more for ya. This one, however, besides being really good, also has a little story behind it
A few years ago, when our blog was less than a year old, we attended a Rosh Hashana cooking demo/lecture in Philadelphia. The cooking part was run by Chef Sichel, then sous-chef at Zahav (one of the hottest restaurants in Philadelphia these days, by the way) and now Head Chef at Abe Fisher.
Chef Sichel prepared the most amazing honey cake we’ve ever tried. He used apples and beer to prepare it, and it was light and fluffy and super moist. Just delicious. Not your typical honey cake, that’s for sure. After the demo, we spoke to him for a few minutes and he graciously offered to e-mail us the recipe when we asked for it.
On our ride back home, the idea hit us. We obviously can't use someone else's recipe on our blog. But why not use it as an inspiration? And we got it. We thought we could turn Vicky’s amazing Friday night challah into a Rosh Hashana Apple and Honey Challah. And it worked! So here it is...
WARNING: This challah recipe will fill your house with an intoxicating sweet smell, and it tastes so amazing, you won't be able to stop after just one slice!
Enjoy!!
Shana Tova,
Ruth and Vicky
How To Braid a Round Challah
- Divide your dough in half and each half into 4 equal pieces
- Roll each of the pieces into 12" strands
- You will use 4 strands per challah
- Place 2 strands parallel to each other
- Place the other two logs perpendicular to the first one, interlaced (Please see step by step images below)
- Place each lower strand over the one next to it counterclockwise (Please see step by step images below)
- Repeat the process clockwise (Please see step by step images below)
- Tuck loose strands under the dough. If you made your strands long you may have to repeat steps 5 and 6 until the strands that are left are short and can be tucked under the challah.
- You don't feel like braiding your challah? Divide the dough in half and each half into 6 equal balls and place them in an 8" round cake pan (See images below)
- Do you want to do even less work? Make a long strand and spiral the dough into a coil.
Step by step images on how to braid a round Challah
These steps may seem a little complicated, but they are quite simple. You can do it! We have faith in you!
Don't worry if the braiding is not perfect, it will look much better once baked and the house is filled with the sweet aroma of cinnamon sugar!
Now you just need to let the challah rise again, brush with egg and top with cinnamon sugar (not optional) and sesame seeds (optional).
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Apples and Honey Challah
- Total Time: 57 minute
- Yield: 2 Challahs - 12 slices per challah 1x
- Diet: Kosher
Description
Give this challah recipe a try and your home will be filled with the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon. So good, your guests won't leave before asking you: May I Have That Recipe?
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup honey
- 3 eggs, 2 beaten together in one bowl and the other one on a separate bowl
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups of organic dried apple rings, chopped (about 4 ounces)
- 5 cups white bread flour
- 3 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbs sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- IF YOU ARE USING A BREAD MACHINE
- Combine water, oil, honey, 2 beaten egg, and salt (in that order) in the bread machine
- Mix flour and apples. Add it to the bread machine and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast and cover it with some of the flour
- Set the machine to dough setting and turn it on
- The bread machine will beep when the cycle is over. The dough should have doubled in size.
- Working on a floured surface, divide the dough in half.
- Make 6 dough balls from each half and arrange them two 8 inch round cake pans (place 5 on the edges and 1 in the center.
- If you would like to make round braided challah follow the steps and images described in the post above
- Pre-heat oven at 425F
- Cover challahs with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise again until the challah has doubled in size about 30 minutes to an hour depending on how hot your kitchen is.
- Using a pastry brush, gently "paint" the Challah with the remaining beaten egg
- Add sesame seeds if using. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over Challah
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425F, lower the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until golden brown (a tooth pick inserted should come out clean)
- IF YOU ARE MAKING BY HAND
- Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and let it sit until it foams (If it doesn't foam, discard it. The yeast is not active and you need to get new yeast)
- In a large bowl combine flour, salt and chopped apples
- In another bowl combine oil, dissolved yeast and water, honey and 2 beaten eggs
- Pour wet ingredients over the flour and knead to create a smooth and soft dough, about 10 minutes. You can also use your food processor fitted with an "S" blade or your stand up mixer, fitted with a dough hook, to mix the dough. See note 3 if the dough is very wet and sticky.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about an hour or until doubles or triples in size
- "Punch" the dough and divide it in half
- Follow steps 7-13 above
Notes
- RECIPE MAKES 2 CHALLAHS
- PREP TIME IS 20 MINUTES, PLUS 2 HOURS RISING TIME
- THE DOUGH SHOULD FEEL SOFT, IF IT IS TOO WET AND STICKY WORK FLOUR INTO THE DOUGH WHILE KNEADING IT ON A FLOURED SURFACE, SOMETIME IT MAY TAKE UP TO 1 MORE CUP OF FLOUR.
- Prep Time: 20 mins plus rising time
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 160
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4.5
- Cholesterol: 0
mydearbakes
Gosh, this looks marvelous! Yummy! =)
mayihavethatrecipe
Thank you! Hope you give it a try 🙂
kitchenriffs
Looks terrific! And pretty easy to make. Nice inspiration! 😉 Thanks for this.
mayihavethatrecipe
You're very welcome! The bread machine definitely makes it a lot easier. But either way, it's delicious. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Chaya
Dried apples?
mayihavethatrecipe
Yes! We wrote apple rings, but didn't specify dried, sorry about that! We'll modify right away, thanks!!
Valentina Kenney (@cookingweekends)
this I want right now! warmed with a bit of butter. perfect!
mayihavethatrecipe
Oooh yes!!! Perfect for breakfast!! 🙂
Leslie
Hi!!
Just found your site and LOVE it!! I was wondering if this challah recipe can be reduced, as my bread machine only can use up to 2 cups of flour at a time. I may be able to half your recipe, but I am not sure. Thanks for any help you can offer....
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you very much. We think it should work if you cut the recipe in half. Let us know if you do. Chag Sameach.
Sharon
When do I add flour to improve the consistency? Before the first rising, after the first rising?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Sharon,
You add flour to improve consistency before the first rising as you are making the dough.
Marie
Can fresh apples be used to replaced dried ones in your challah recipe. If so, what quantity should I use?
Vicky & Ruth
We tried this recipe in with fresh apples. Use the same 2 cups, peel and dice the apples small, so they get cooked. It will be harder to work with the dough, but it will still work. Let us know how the recipe comes out with fresh apples.
Linda
I made this with fresh apples diced small and it came out AMAZING!
Vicky and Ruth
So, so happy to hear that you enjoyed our Apples and honey Challah! It works well with fresh apples also!
Elise
OMG! This Challah was the absolute best!
Paula Zevin
Made this for Rosh Hashanah in 2019 and it si now in my permanent line-up for the High Holydays. THe challah is delicious, looks great and there's never a crumb left of what I put out on the table.
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Paula, we love this Challah recipe as well! Thank you for sharing your experience
Carole
is it possible to make this with fresh apples? Thank You!
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Carole. We tried this recipe in with fresh apples and it came our great. Use 2 cups of fresh apples, peel and dice the apples small, so they get cooked. It will be harder to work with the dough, but it will still work. Let us know how the recipe comes out with fresh apples.
Miller Teri
Can this be made with flax eggs to make it vegan ?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi, we have not tried this recipe with flax eggs. If you try it with flax eggs please let us know how it comes out. If you have our cookbook we have a great recipe for vegan challah rolls and you can add the dried apples to that recipe. If you don't have the cookbook we can email you the recipe. Please let us know.
Cindy
Made this easy and delicious challah!! It’s a winner
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much! We agree 😉
Blue Wren
I miss challah so much since going gluten free. It's fairly straightforward to make a vegan challah, but making it gluten free as well? The impossible dream!
Vicky and Ruth
We are so sorry, you won't be able to enjoy this recipe. We never tried making a gluten-free challah. Have you tried with gluten-free 1 to 1 flour and aquafaba or flax eggs?
Rosette Rutman
This looks wonderful. I will be making it by hand. I am wondering if the instructions for Step 21 should be follow Steps 6 - 13 not 5 -10??
Vicky and Ruth
Yes, you are right Rosette. Thank you for catching the typo! Shana Tova!
Michelle I Siegel
does making this without apples in the mix affect ratios at all?
thx <3
Vicky and Ruth
You can make this recipe without the apples. We've done it several times.
Juana Roberts-Currie
Made this twice, loved it the first time. Loved it even more second time around. Found how to bake and not have the bottom be dark Used two heavy duty cookie sheets, and had the rack second from top.
Vicky and Ruth
That is such a great idea, thank you! The dark bottom is an issue with a gas oven, but not so much with an electric one.
Elaine
Made this recipe as-is, it was delicious! Hoping to have success using gluten-free all purpose flour (for yeasted products). Would I need to change any of the ingredients or measurements? Thank you!
Vicky and Ruth
I am really not familiar with gluten-free baking. But I would be curious to know how the challah comes out.