I had the pleasure from learning how to make challah from former Bouchon Bakery chef Nick Bonamico. He is now creating amazing things at Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco. Way back when I was producing Facebook Lives (remember those?) at Williams Sonoma, we invited Chef Nick to demonstrate a round challah, one of the bakery’s bread offerings during Rosh Hashanah.
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This recipe is a scaled down version of what they use in the bakery so you can prepare it at home. And check out the video, for the 4-strand challah braid.
I also want to call out that this recipe is not in the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook, but I highly recommend the book for anyone wanting to learn how to bake. After I finished pastry school, I baked through the entire book and it is very well written. The steps are easy to follow and the results look like the photos, but more importantly, tasted great. The book includes bakery classics like the TKO, Better Nutter, and my personal favorite, the Shortbread.
Bouchon Bakery Challah Recipe
Makes 1 round 4-strand challah
Ingredients
287g bread flour
15.5 g sugar
5.25 g salt
7.75 g instant yeast
23g honey
21.5 g egg yolks
40.5 g eggs
26.5 g vegetable oil
92 g water
Egg Wash:
25 g egg + 27 g egg yolk
Pinch of salt
Directions
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix all of the ingredients on speed 1 (low) for 3 minutes, then speed 2 for 5 minutes. Scrape down as needed. The dough should be tacky but not stick to your hands. Cover the bowl and let proof at room temperature for up to 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 130 g pieces. Shape each into a rope approximately 14” in length. Braid the 4 strands to form a round challah. Place the challah round onto the parchment-lined sheet pan.
For the egg wash, in a small bowl, combine egg, egg yolks and salt. Beat well with a fork. Strain the egg mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl, to ensure it is smooth. Brush the challah gently with egg wash. Set aside the wash for after the second proof.
Cover challah lightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Proof for approximately 2 hours, until the dough springs back to
the touch.
Egg wash a second time just before baking.
Bake in a convection oven at 375°F or 400°F standard until the internal temperature reaches 180°F.
Recipe re-printed with permission from Bouchon Bakery, courtesy of Chef Nick Bonamico.
