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4.86 from 7 votes

Olive Oil Challah with Olives and Rosemary

Savory olive oil challah is studded with chopped olives, fresh rosemary and finished with flakey sea salt.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Proofing2 hours
Total Time2 hours 55 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: olive and rosemary challah, olive oil challah, savory challah
Servings: 2 challot
Calories: 1401kcal
Cost: $5

Equipment

Ingredients

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 the olive 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 and chopped rosemary, about ½ cup of flour at a time with the mixer on low and add the chopped olives towards the end of mixing or with the last ½ cup of flour. 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. Allow to rest and rise for 1 ½ 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 challot. 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 challaot on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Brush each challah with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and chopped rosemary. Let rise for another 30 minutes.
  • Bake challah for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown. Let challah cool before cutting into.

Notes

  • Yes you can make the dough ahead of time, just let if rise (proof) in the fridge instead of in a warm spot.
  • To freeze challah, I would suggest baking the challah in its entirety, then letting cool completely, then wrap very well in plastic wrap and then place in a sealed plastic bag and freeze. The let challah thaw and bake until warmed through.
  • The fresh rosemary sprigs may dry out in baking, so for presentation, add a few sprigs after it’s baked.
  • Blot any excess brine off of the olives so they don't weigh down the dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 1401kcal | Carbohydrates: 218g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 2289mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 13mg