Exactly a year has passed since I began my "Culinary Bucket List" and as I…
Garlic Rosemary Challah
Happy 2018 everyone! I am so excited to welcome the New Year and grateful for the year that just passed. Between moving and buying a house and creating my 1st cookbook, I can honestly say that I am truly blessed!
Now let’s get back to cooking, shall we? I am still working on my annual culinary bucket list for the New Year and have a bunch of recipes I want to learn and conquer in the New Year…you can check it out here and let me know if there is something that YOU have been wanting to make. Make a list, conquer it and learn something new! I’d love to hear about it.
I know we’re all over the holidays. Cookies are done and all we’re seeing are salads up the wazoo, soups and steamed lemon. But for me, it wouldn’t be a true if I didn’t say I was still baking homemade challah. I taught a challah making class a few months ago at the local Co-op and it was so much fun! Each participant braided their own challah to take home and before the class, I made a few to nosh on while they baked.
This was the exact challah I brought to the class. A gorgeous aromatic, savory garlic rosemary challah. There is roasted garlic powder and freshly chopped rosemary inside the dough as well as garnished with thin slices of garlic and small sprigs of rosemary. It is certainly a show-stopper and one of my favorite classic flavor combinations.
Garlic Rosemary Challah
Garlic rosemary challah is a deliciously savory challah, with classic flavors of roasted garlic powder and freshly chopped rosemary.
Servings: 2 challot
Ingredients
- 1 packet of yeast 1/4 oz
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 whole eggs + 1 egg whisked for egg wash
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp roasted garlic powder
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves chopped finely + more for garnish
- Coarse sea salt for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- Fresh rosemary sprigs about 1 inch for garnish
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup warm water, yeast and sugar. Mix lightly with a fork to get all the yeast in the water and set aside for about 15 minutes. It should begin to foam up and you should see little bubbles.
- In another bowl, whisk together the oil, honey and 2 eggs and pour mixture into the yeast mixture.
- Using a dough attachment on your mixer on low-medium speed, gradually add the flour, salt, garlic powder and chopped rosemary, about 1/2 cup of flour at a time with the mixer on low. Continue to mix until everything is incorporated. The dough should begin to pull away from the bowl and come to 1 large ball of dough.
- Turn the dough onto a very well floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. You can use your finger to see if it’s ready. Press your finger in and if the dough bounces back quickly, it’s ready.
- In a large bowl, pour a bit of oil in and place your dough ball in the bowl. Turn it around so the entire dough is covered with a thin layer of oil. Cover with a clean towel and place bowl in a warm spot. (for me, it was my oven). Allow to rest and rise for 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
- When dough is ready, it should have doubled in size. Punch the dough down and divide dough into 2 balls, this will be your challahs. Cover 1 ball of dough as you work with the other.
- Divide dough into 3 or 4 pieces (depending on what kind of braid you’d like), which will be your strands. Roll each strand into a long rope all of equal sizes, about 8-10 inches in length and continue with desired braid.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place challahs on baking sheet. Brush each challah with egg wash and sprinkle with course sea salt and chopped rosemary and place sliced garlic in the “nooks” of the braid. Allow to rest for another 30 minutes.
- Bake challah for about 30 minutes or runtil the top is lightly golden brown.
This is the most fantastic recipe. I have made it twice and both times they were perfect. I posted photos on Facebook after which a friend asked me to show her how to make it, so I ended up making the recipe a third time at her house. The smells of the bread baking with roasting garlic and rosemary will knock your socks off!
I love this sooo much!!! I’d love to see the photo if you still have it! Seriously the best challah flavor combo!!
It was a little strange because of all the honey in it. Maybe cut down the honey or increase the salt? Tasted ok and did look pretty.
I made this last night and we ate one loaf in about 10 minutes. It was amazing! I’m wondering if I can make one really large loaf instead of 2? Would it ruin anything?
Hi Megan!! I think if your oven and baking sheet is large enough, you can totally make 1 large loaf..but it will be huge! Maybe you can make it into 1 large 6 braid challah or a large round one? It may take longer to bake as well, so keep an eye on it!
Would it be okay to incorporate fresh Parmesan cheese or would that mess up the balance?
Hi Kylar! I think parm would be fabulous!! Its dry enough so will be a nice addition.
My friend and I (both just graduated from college) are pretty amateur bakers, and we blew everyone away with this challah! It was the perfect texture and had a great balance of garlic and rosemary flavor. Both loaves were gone by the end of dinner and we will definitely save this recipe! Thanks!
Hi Rachel!! That makes me SOOOO happy!! So glad you enjoyed the challah! If or when you want something sweet, I suggest trying the rose date challah..its my other favorite 🙂
Can you freeze one for later?
I have not frozen challah before, but I would suggest baking the challah, letting it completely cool and then wrapping very well in plastic wrap and a Ziploc bag and then to reheat, defrost the challah and place in low temp oven until warmed through.
Maybe this is a silly question, but is there anything you can substitute the eggs with?
Hi Della! I’d suggest looking up a vegan challah recipe. I personally have not made an egg-less challah, but find a good base recipe and then use the garlic rosemary to flavor.
I was able to make this with a chia-seed egg. (One tbsp chia, 3 water, let sit 15-20 mins). It turned out great, but doesn’t brown as well as it would with the egg. Tastes delicious.
Hi Della! Oh thank you for letting me know!!! What a great substitution and glad it came out well!
Does it have to be vegetable oil or will any oil work? I prefer to use olive, avocado, or coconut oil. Thanks!
Any neutral oil should work, I am also working towards better oils as well. I would personally do either grapeseed or olive oil. I think coconut oil would give off a slight taste that wouldn’t go well with the savory garlic. Happy baking!
I went ahead with olive oil and it came out great! Will definitely make this again. Thank you!!
What kind of yeast does this bread require? Active dry or fast rising??
You could use either but I usually use active dry.
We love this bread! I found it easy to make and especially nice that it makes 2 loaves. The presentation that the bread provides is awesome! I made the recipe just as directed and it turned out perfectly.
Thank you so much for sharing!!! So glad you love it 🙂
This bread is wonderful !! I’ve always wanted to try and bake this bread but was intimidated by the braid. Well needless to say it came out perfect. The smell of the bread rising sends a wonderful aroma throughout my home. My husband and kids couldn’t wait to try it. I’ll definitely bake this bread again ! A family favorite 💕 thank you for sharing !
Thank you so much for sharing, Jenn! So glad everyone loved it!!
I’m going to make this tomorrow to go with lasagna. Do you recommend bleached or unbleached flour?
Hi Mary Kay! Hope I am replying in time…I use unbleached flour. I really like Bobs Red Mill OG All Purpose Flour.
Wow this was fantastic, and so easy to make! I definitely plan on using this base recipe to try different flavors! I used dried rosemary, because I didn’t want to run out for fresh herbs, and it still came out fabulously. I just used about half of the amount listed.
Hi Emily! And thank you for the tip!! So glad it worked well with dried herbs 🙂
Can I make challah bread without a stand mixer, or any eletronic mixer? I do not own one at this time after recently moving out, and wondering if a hand whisk could do.. I also have a whisk attachment I could add to my hand blender/emulsifier, if that would work? Or I could hand knead/mix it.. Thoughts anyone?? Thanks in advance!!
Hi Allison!! Absolutely and thank you for the reminder, I should add the other mixing method in the recipe. After the yeast foams, add that along with the liquid ingredients in a large bowl and whisk. Gradually add in flour and begin to stir it in with a spatula, since a whisk may not be strong enough. As soon as its too difficult to mix with the spatula, knead dough by hand and once it forms into a ball’ish shape, turn onto the counter and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Then rise and bake per usual.
I am an experienced challah baker. I use a bread machine. My go-to sweet challah recipe uses 4 cups bread flour like yours, but only 3/4 cup water. I tried your recipe today, and just as I thought, the dough was very wet. I added more flour but it was still sticky. Bottom line: it tasted great, but it didn’t look pretty. 🙁
Hello JR! Thank you for your comment. My recipe uses all purpose flour so I am wondering if it was the change of using bread flour that altered the moisture content? I am glad you were able to salvage the bread and I will make a note for a future test to bake with bread flour to see the outcome.
Made this tonight and it turned out great! Thanks a lot fir the recipe.
Thank you so much for commenting Amila!! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made these beautiful breads last night. They turned out just like your picture…..the only thing is, the garlic was overwhelming. I am a garlic fan too….but this almost had a bitter taste to me. Maybe it’s my “taster” because my husband loved it. My question is, could I use fresh minced garlic in this recipe? I rarely use garlic powder….and I would like to try it with the minced garlic if you think it would be good. I love your recipe and it was so simple to follow! Thank you for sharing it with me and thank you for any information you can share. I want so badly to make this recipe and give as gifts with dipping oil for Christmas.
Hi Cindy! Apologies for the late reply and thank you for your comment. I haven’t tried it with fresh garlic butttt roasted garlic would be delish and certainly more mellow and sweeter. Or I’d suggest just cutting back on the dried garlic if the amount was too much. And an herb dipping oil wounds amazing!