Round Challah for Rosh Hashanah (Easy Woven Recipe)
Round and Round We Go
Get it? Like our round challah? There’s a challah for every Shabbat, and then there’s the challah, the round one that shows up for High Holidays season prime for dipping in honey. Round challah for Rosh Hashanah is the showstopper, and honestly? It’s not nearly as scary to make as that woven shape lets on. I mean you can do the turban one-strand twist, but how pretty is this version??
If you can make my easy braided challah, you can absolutely weave it into a gorgeous round loaf. And if you can’t yet, don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it. It’s my same dough you already love, soft and a little sweet and pareve, just shaped into a crown for the New Year. Let’s get started!
Why Round Challah on Rosh Hashanah?
Good question! Every other week of the year, challah is braided in a long loaf. But for Rosh Hashanah, and all the way through the High Holidays until Simchat Torah, we shape it into a round loaf. Like everything Jewish there’s real meaning packed into that circle:
- The circle of the year. A round challah has no beginning and no end, symbolizing the cycle of the year and our hope that it keeps coming back around, sweet and whole.
- A crown. The woven shape is said to look like a crown, a nod to Rosh Hashanah as the day we crown God as king (heavy!)
- Reaching upward. The plump, woven loaf symbolizes our hopes and prayers rising up for the year ahead.
- Sweetness. This is the season of apples and honey and wishing each other a sweet year. So while the rest of the year we dip challah in salt, on Rosh Hashanah we reach for the honey pot instead. Don’t need to tell me twice!
Some bakers like to add raisins or a little extra honey to the dough for the New Year. I keep mine classic and let the apples and honey on the table do the sweet talking. But if you’re a raisin person, knead in a handful and go for it.
Ingredient Notes (a.k.a. What Makes This Challah Sing. Not literally.)
- Yeast. Active dry yeast, one packet. If it doesn’t puff up in the warm water and sugar, it’s dead. Toss it and start over. Better a sad packet of yeast in the trash than a sad brick of dough.
- Sugar. Feeds the yeast and gives challah its gentle sweetness and beautiful golden crust. I like my challah perfectly sweet!
- Eggs. Two in the dough for richness and that classic challah crumb, plus one extra yolk for the glaze gives it that shiny golden color.
- Vegetable oil. Keeps the challah pareve (no dairy), so it plays nicely with any holiday meal, meat included.
- Bread flour (or all-purpose). Bread flour gives you a little more chew and structure, which helps hold that round shape. All-purpose works too if that’s all you have.
- Kosher salt. For flavor and to keep the yeast in check.
How to Shape a Woven Round Challah (Step by Step)
This is a shape everyone’s nervous about, but I promise it’s more forgiving than it looks. Instead of one coiled rope, we’re making a woven round: four ropes laid into a tic-tac-toe weave, then the ends braided around into a plump, basket-woven crown. It photographs like a bakery masterpiece and tastes like a hug (awww).
1Let the dough rise.
After mixing and kneading your dough, let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, soft and puffy and pillowy.
2Divide into 4.
Punch the dough down and cut it into 4 equal pieces. A bench scraper makes this easy. I weigh my pieces so they are even. Roll each into a ball.
3Roll 4 ropes.
Roll each ball into a long, even rope, about 15 to 18 inches, tapering the very ends.
4Make a # weave, and meet your 4 pairs.
Lay 2 ropes going up-and-down and 2 ropes going side-to-side, weaving them over-and-under like a tic-tac-toe board (or a hashtag!). You’ll have a woven square and 8 ends sticking out, really 4 pairs, two at each side. In each pair, one strand sits on top (the over) and one underneath (the under). Getting cozy with this is the whole secret.
5Under goes over its neighbor.
Take the under strand of a pair and lift it over the neighboring strand, the closest end from the next pair. Do one from each side, working around all four sides.
6Keep weaving, and it reverses.
Come back around and do it again in the opposite direction. Whatever strand is now underneath gets crossed over its neighbor. Each time around, the over-and-under naturally flips. Keep your tension even and snug but not too tight. Let the challah breathe and grow!
7Weave until the ropes run out.
Keep rotating around, crossing the unders over the overs, until the strands get too short to cross. The woven crown will really start to show off now.
8Tuck the ends under.
Tuck the last little tips underneath the loaf so everything’s neat and there are no loose ends peeking out.
9Let it rise again.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let the shaped loaf rise (covered) a second time until puffy, about 45 minutes. Don’t skip this one! It’s what makes your challah light and fluffy instead of dense.
10Egg wash, then bake.
Brush all over with the egg-yolk wash (two coats!) for that glossy, golden finish, and it’s ready for the oven.
Amy’s Tips for the Best Round Challah
- Don’t skimp on the second rise. A well-proofed loaf is a light, fluffy loaf. It should look noticeably puffy and spring back slowly when poked.
- Two coats of egg wash, using yolk only, for that deep, shiny, bakery-window shine.
- Tent with foil if the top is browning faster than the inside is baking. Round loaves are tall, so the center takes a little longer.
- Seeds or sprinkles. Top yours before baking with sesame or poppy seeds (classic), and a little rainbow sprinkle never hurt a holiday loaf either.
- Check for doneness by tapping the bottom. It should sound hollow, or hit about 190°F in the center with a thermometer.
How to Serve Round Challah
Say the blessing, then tear off a piece and dip it in honey. It’s the sweetest way to start the New Year, and the whole table will be reaching for seconds (and thirds). Round challah is also glorious alongside a holiday brisket, and any leftovers make the best French toast you’ll ever eat.
Can I Make Round Challah Ahead?
You bet. Challah is a giving loaf (sorry):
- Make the dough a day ahead. After the first rise, refrigerate it overnight. The next day, let the dough come to room temperature and shape it and then do the second rise.
- Freeze baked challah. Cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp and warm in a low oven to bring it back to life.
- Day-old challah makes the best French toast and bread pudding of your life. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
More Sweet Recipes for a Sweet New Year
Rounding out your Rosh Hashanah menu? Dig into more of my favorites:
For the Main Event
- Pomegranate Brisket with Avocado Cilantro Aioli (a twist on the classic holiday main)
- The Best Jewish Brisket
- White Wine, Honey and Fig Chicken
- White Wine Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Potatoes
- Za’atar Roasted Chicken Over Sumac Potatoes
Starters, Sides & Salads
- Tzimmes Crostini
- Honey Tahini Yogurt Dip
- Apples, Honey and Goat Cheese Crostini
- Apples and Honey Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- Tahdig with Jeweled Pomegranate, Almond, Date Crunch
Something Sweet
- Chocolate Chip Apple Cake with Pomegranate Glaze
- Chocolate Chip Apple Bars with Pomegranate Glaze
- Jewish Honey Cake with Pomegranate Glaze
Sip & Explore More
- Pomegranate Cardamom Spritzer (to toast the New Year)
- 20 Best Jewish Bread Recipes
- The 20 Best Jewish Main Dishes
However you shape it, I hope your round challah comes out golden, your apples come out sweet, and your year comes out sweeter still. Shana tovah u’metukah!
Round Challah for Rosh Hashanah
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1¼ cup warm water about 100 degrees
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs plus one extra yolk for glazing
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3¾ – 4½ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- sesame seeds or sprinkles optional, for topping
- honey for serving
Instructions
- Mix the yeast with the warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer; whisk until smooth. Let stand until puffed, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in the 2 eggs, oil, and remaining sugar until incorporated. Add about half the flour, then the salt; mix into a ball using a wooden spoon or dough hook. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed. The dough should be soft and tacky.
- Place the dough in a warm, cleaned bowl and cover with a towel. Let ferment until doubled, about 2 to 3 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a long rope. Lay 2 ropes vertically and 2 horizontally, weaving them into a tic-tac-toe (#) shape with 8 ends radiating out, which you can think of as 4 pairs. Braid the ends around: take the strand that sits underneath in each pair and cross it over its neighbor, doing one from each side and working around the loaf. Keep going reversing directions each time (the over-under flips each time around) until the strands are too short to cross, then tuck the final tips underneath to form a neat round.
- Cover and let rise another 45 minutes, until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Whisk the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water and brush generously over the challah (two coats recommended). Top with sesame seeds or sprinkles, if desired. Bake about 30 minutes, until deep golden brown. Tent with foil if it's browning too quickly on top.
- Cool on a rack and serve with honey for dipping. Shana tovah u'metukah!
Notes
