Ima's Challah

Name: Ima's Challah
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup warm water, divided; 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided; 2 tablespoon active dry yeast; 6 cup flour, either all-purpose or half all-purpose/white whole wheat, plus more for the surface; 2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pinch ground cardamom, optional; 4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk for the egg wash, if desired; 2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil, plus more for greasing; 1/4 cup mild honey, plus 1 tablespoon for the egg wash, if desired

Instructions

I make challah almost every week. After trying about 5 other recipes, I've returned to my mother's tried-and-true version. (Should've known—mom's always right!) At this point, the recipe is so familiar I practically have it memorized. The original recipe calls for white bread flour, but Ima and I have both transitioned to half white, half King Arthur's White Whole Wheat. Take your pick. Either way, my mother emailed me today to let me know that since she gave me her recipe, she's started adding a pinch of cardamom to her dough. I've included that option below. - Rivka Sandwich fan? Tune into our podcast, The Sandwich Universe, where co-hosts and longtime BFFs Molly Baz and Declan Bond debate and cook up iconic sandwiches every ‘wich way.

Updated at: Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:17:10 GMT