Pareve
2 large loaves
Intermediate
45 minutes
4–5 hours
HaMotzi
There is challah, and then there is egg challah — the version where generosity with yolks transforms an already beautiful bread into something almost impossibly rich. Where a standard challah uses two or three eggs, this recipe calls for six whole eggs plus two extra yolks, creating a dough so golden it looks like it has been painted with saffron. The crumb is softer than any challah you have tasted, with a tender pull that melts on the tongue.
In Ashkenazi tradition, egg challah occupies a special place at celebrations — bar mitzvahs, engagement parties, Yom Tov meals where the ordinary will not do. The extra eggs are not just richness for its own sake; they create a bread with better keeping quality, a more stable crumb, and that unmistakable deep yellow color that signals abundance and joy.
The technique here matters as much as the ingredients. The additional fat from the yolks means the gluten develops differently — more slowly, more gently. You need patience during mixing and a slightly longer bulk fermentation. But the reward is a challah that stays fresh through Shabbat lunch, toasts beautifully on Sunday morning, and makes the finest French toast you have ever eaten.
