Try this homemade Basic Challah Dough recipe the whole family will love. Made with water, yeast, sugar and flour. Easy step-by-step instructions included.
This Basic Challah Dough relies on simple, everyday ingredients such as plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, large eggs and salt. It comes together quickly and makes 4 servings, at about 219 kcal each. The step-by-step instructions below are written to be easy to follow, even on a busy day.
It's versatile enough for an easy weeknight dinner yet satisfying enough for guests at the weekend. Serve it with your favorite sides, and keep any leftovers for a quick meal the next day.
Updated Jun 30, 2026
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Prepared By Hand:
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Challah dough is fun and easy to mix and knead by hand.
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As with all yeast doughs, the amount of flour needed to absorb the liquid varies with the humidity, the flours dryness, and the size of the eggs.
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But remember that bread dough is forgiving and works well in a wide range of flour to liquid ratios.
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Do try to keep the dough soft.
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Although firm dough is easier to braid, soft dough gives the lightest, most delicious bread.
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Use this recipe or follow this method for any challah recipe.
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Pour 1/4 cup of the water into a small bowl.
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Sprinkle yeast over the water and 1 teaspoon sugar over yeast.
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Let yeast mixture stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
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Stir if not smooth.
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Oil a large bowl.
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Sift 2 3/4 cups of the flour into a large bowl.
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Make large, deep well in center of flour.
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Add yeast mixture, remaining sugar, oil, eggs, remaining water, and salt to well.
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Mix ingredients in well with a wooden spoon until blended.
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Mix in flour, first with a spoon, then by hand, until ingredients come together to form a dough.
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Dough should be soft and sticky.
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Knead dough vigorously on work surface until it is very smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes; during kneading, if it sticks to your fingers, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is no longer very sticky.
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Put dough into oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil all surfaces.
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Cover with warm, slightly damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area about 1 hour 15 minutes or until doubled.
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Remove dough with rubber spatula to work surface.
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Knead dough lightly again about 30 seconds to knock out air.
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Clean bowl if necessary.
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Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
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Shape and bake dough as desired (see recipes).
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Prepared By Mixer:
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Use a heavy-duty mixer with a dough hook for this recipe.
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It is the best and most efficient way to mix and knead large amounts of dough and to prepare doughs that are very sticky.
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Pour 1/4 cup of the water into a small bowl.
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Sprinkle yeast into water, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar into yeast water.
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Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
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Oil a large bowl.
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Sift 2 3/4 cups flour into bowl of mixer fitted with dough hook.
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Make large, deep well in center of flour.
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Add yeast mixture, remaining sugar, oil, eggs, remaining water, and salt to well.
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Mix at medium-low speed, pushing flour in often at first and scraping dough down occasionally from bowl and from hook, until ingredients come together in a soft, sticky dough.
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Add remaining flour and beat until blended in.
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Mix dough at medium speed to knead it, scraping down twice, about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and almost cleans sides of bowl.
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Pinch dough quickly; if it sticks to your fingers, beat in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is no longer very sticky.
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If you add flour, mix at medium speed about 2 minutes.
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Dough should be soft, smooth, and elastic.
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Put dough into oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil all surfaces.
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Cover with warm, slightly damp towel or plastic wrap.
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Let rise in warm draft-free area about 1 1/4 hours or until nearly doubled.
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Knead dough lightly in bowl to knock out air.
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Cover and let rise again about 1 hour or until nearly doubled.
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Shape and bake dough as desired (see recipes).
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Prepared by Food Processor:
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I love making challah dough in the food processor because it is so quick and easy and produces very good results.
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In fact, the dough is mixed and kneaded in less than three minutes!
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Naturally, the amount you can make is limited by the size of your food processor.
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I use a medium-size (10- to 12-cup capacity) food processor to mix this dough, which is enough for
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1 medium loaf.
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If you are in a hurry, you can skip the doughs second rising; the loaf wont be quite as light but it will still taste good.
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Pour 1/4 cup of the water into small bowl.
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Sprinkle yeast over water.
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Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar over yeast.
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Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.
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Stir if not smooth.
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Oil a large bowl.
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Fit food processor with dough blade.
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Combine 2 3/4 cups flour and remaining sugar in food processor.
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Process briefly to mix.
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Add yeast mixture, oil, eggs, and salt.
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With blades of processor turning, pour in remaining water.
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Process until ingredients come together to form a soft dough; it will not form a ball.
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Process for about 30 seconds to knead dough.
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Pinch dough quickly; if it sticks to your fingers, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is no longer very sticky.
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Knead again by processing about 30 seconds or until smooth.
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Remove dough from processor and shape it into a rough ball in your hands.
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Put dough into oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil all surfaces.
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Cover with warm, slightly damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area about 1 hour 15 minutes or until doubled.
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Remove dough with rubber spatula to work surface.
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Knead dough lightly again about 30 seconds to knock out air.
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Clean bowl if necessary.
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Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
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Shape and bake dough as desired (see recipes).
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Hand-Kneading Bread Dough:
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You can knead bread dough in a mixer with a dough hook or in a food processor.
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If you are making the dough by hand, there are two basic techniques for kneading it: the slapping method, used for soft doughs; and the conventional bread dough method, pushing with your palms.
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Since challah dough is quite soft when I knead it by hand, I prefer the slapping method, which I learned in France.
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With this method, you end up adding less flour and the dough stays softer, resulting in a bread that is more moist.
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If you are used to the conventional method or feel more comfortable with it, however, you can use it.
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Bagel dough is firmer than challah dough and works equally well by either method.
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Slapping Method of Kneading:
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With the dough on the work surface, place your hands next to each other on top of the dough, holding it lightly in your fingertips.
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Pull up the dough and slap it vigorously onto the work surface.
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Grasp the dough again at a different place, and repeat.
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Continue slapping dough, lightly flouring the surface if necessary to prevent excessive sticking, until the dough is smooth and elastic and holds together in one piece.
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Its all right if the dough is still slightly sticky but it should be much less sticky than it was before kneading.
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Be sure to handle the dough lightly and quickly so it does not stick much to your fingers.
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Conventional Method of Kneading:
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Put the dough on the work surface.
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Push the dough away from you against the work surface with the palm of your hand.
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Turn the dough, fold its top third down toward you, and push it again.
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Continue kneading the dough, flouring the work surface as necessary to prevent excessive sticking, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
Tips for the best results
- Read through all the steps once before you start and measure out your ingredients first — it makes everything go more smoothly.
- Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning before serving.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan — cook in batches if needed for the best texture.
- Let the dish rest for a few minutes before serving so the flavors settle.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within a few days.
Variations & substitutions
- Brown sugar instead of white sugar adds a deeper, more caramel-like flavor.
- A good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works well if you need a gluten-free version.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
My Personal Notes
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How did you like this recipe?
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 7 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (105F to 115F), 1 envelope dry yeast ( 1/4 ounce or 2 1/2 teaspoons); see Note, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, About 2 3/4 to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, and more.
Yes, Basic Challah Dough falls under the General category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently before serving.