This Chai Tea Challah Bread infuses cardamom, cloves and other spices, making it reminiscent of the spicy hot tea!
Comfort food. Everyone has a favorite. Maybe it’s mac and cheese. Or ice cream. Or brisket. Or pot pie. Mmm. For me, comfort comes in a glass. No not whiskey, it’s chai tea! For real. I like to curl up by my fire place (AC blasting since this is Texas) with my imaginary puppy and a nice mug of chai tea. Maybe a trashy magazine. Now you’re talking!
I was thinking that it has been forever since I last made a challah, but this one had to be fall. Chai tea of course! I infused the bread with tea, and added cloves, cinnamon and other spices to get a subtle fall flavor to my challah. Wouldn’t this be perfect drizzled with a little honey? I think it would!
Chai Tea Challah
Ingredients
For challah:
- ¾ cup cup warm water (about 100 degrees)
- 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon Imperial Sugar Granulated Sugar, divided
- 1 1 black tea bag
- 2¾-3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 2 tsps ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil, plus more for coating the bowl
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For topping:
- 1 large egg whisked
- 2 tbsps Imperial Sugar Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar to water, stir and let foam. Add tea bag and let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl whisk together 2 ¾ cups flour, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
- Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, egg, remaining sugar and vanilla to yeast mixture and combine. Then add in flour mixture and form into a ball. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or with a stand mixer. Add more flour if the dough is sticky.
- Place dough ball in a bowl coated with oil and cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2-3 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled, punch down and divide into three equal balls. Roll out into strands and braid. Place challah on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise for another hour until double again.
- Mix together sugar and cinnamon for topping. While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully brush egg over challah and then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Head on over to the Imperial Sugar website to get the recipe!
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2 Comments
I just found your site and I’m always psyched for more Jewish recipes especially for holidays, so I will definitely be perusing. I hate to be critical, but could you not call it “Challah Bread”? It’s just challah. Calling it “challah bread” is like saying “brioche bread.” Or “brisket meat.” Y’know?
Yay thanks for reading! I gotcha, that was more to explain what it was for non challah lovers.