Challah dough calculator
Braided challah on water, oil, honey and eggs — the classic formula, with braid-ready piece weights.
1 × 950 g · 54% hydration
Type how much flour you have — the portion weight recalculates.
Challah in the classic tradition: a braided loaf enriched with eggs, oil and honey — and defined as much by what it lacks: no milk, no butter. King Arthur’s formula is the anchor: water-based, egg-rich, glossy under its egg wash.
How it works
Water, oil, honey — on purpose
The liquid is 34% water; the fat is 15% oil; the sweetener is 12.5% honey. Eggs run 21% plus 3.5% yolks. The dairy-free build is not incidental — traditional challah accompanies meals where dairy is excluded, and the oil crumb is its own pleasure: springy, fine, faintly sweet.
Dough and braid
With 1.8% salt and 2.4% instant yeast the schedule runs about two hours of bulk and up to ninety minutes of proof. Divide the ~950 g of dough into equal strands — three for the classic braid, more if you are showing off — roll them even, and braid snug but not tight; the proof needs room.
The double egg wash
Brush with beaten egg before proofing and again before baking — the deep mahogany gloss is challah’s signature. Bake at ~190 °C until richly browned; tent with foil if the braid ridges darken early.
FAQ
Is Polish chałka the same thing?
Same braid, different family: the Polish bakery chałka is typically a milk-and-butter sweet loaf, closer to a brioche-lite. Traditional Jewish challah is water-and-oil, as here. If you grew up on Polish chałka, expect this to be less buttery and more springy.
Honey or sugar?
Respected versions use both — Joan Nathan’s famous recipe (via Smitten Kitchen) runs sugar at a similar level. Honey browns faster and reads more aromatic; swap gram for gram if you prefer sugar.
Why did my braid blur together?
Overproofed or braided too loose with strands too soft. Braid when the strands still hold a firm line, and bake at the “slow poke recovery” stage — the oven spring will fill the braid without erasing it.