5. Specs & Requirements

The Flour: Challah is separated when the dough is made of one or more of the following five grains: wheat, rye, barley, oat or spelt.

The Liquid: In order to be able to recite the blessing, the majority of the liquid content of the dough must be water. If the majority of the liquid content is comprised of liquids other than water (e.g., oil, eggs, honey, fruit juice, etc.), challah should be separated, but without reciting the blessing. However, at least one drop of water should be added to the liquid.

The Dough: Challah is not separated from a sweet cookie or cake batter that is loose (as opposed to a heavy batter/dough, like that of a babka).

The Quantity: In order to separate challah and recite the blessing, the dough should contain at least 59 ounces (3 lbs. 11 oz., or 1 and 2/3 kilograms) of flour. If the amount of flour is between 43 and 59 ounces (1.230 to 1.666 kilograms), challah should be separated without a blessing. Do not separate challah if the dough contains less than 43 ounces of flour.