A marriage between garlic bread and challah...it's about time this happened!

You can use your favorite challah recipe or the one I've included below. The main element is the garlic mixture which can be used on virtually any dough (although I would be cautious using it with a super sweet recipe.


As you can see, I rolled out each strand and brushed it with the garlic mixture. It's a bit fiddly and time-consuming. The other option is to just brush each strand and then braid. The flavor won't be as intense and it can be hard to braid when the strands are oily and slippery (it's hard to keep the ends together). But sometimes it's worth the saved time.


I baked mine on a sheet pan this time and they came out wider and flatter. If you use a loaf pan (or there are oval pans specifically for challah), you will get a higher fuller look. Good news - taste is unaffected!



For more about baking challah in general, and for a larger challah recipe, please see my Traditional Soft Fluffy Challah.

NOTE: In the top picture, I used egg wash in addition to the garlic mixture. In the other picture I did not. It's just a matter of esthetics and I've included instructions for both methods below.

Challah Ingredients:

  • 2¼ tsp. dry yeast (0.25 oz. / 7 grams)
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 tbsp. oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • Approximately 4 cups bread flour (as always, add the flour slowly towards the end and feel if the dough needs more or less)

Garlic Oil Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Optional: flaked salt for garnish

Directions:

  1. Crush the garlic. Wash and check the parsley for insects, according to your local guidelines.
  2. Whisk garlic oil ingredients together. Set aside.
  3. Dissolve yeast and sugar in ¼ cup warm water in a medium-sized bowl. Let sit about 15 minutes until thick and frothy.
  4. Check the egg for blood spots.
  5. Add the egg, honey, oil, salt, remaining ¾ cup of water, and 3 cups of the flour. Mix until a loose batter forms. Add the rest of the flour slowly. You may not need it all, so go slowly towards the end. Alternatively, you may need slightly more. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Once the dough has enough flour, knead it well. You can do this recipe by hand or with a mixer (using the dough hook). Let the mixer do the kneading for you if you’re using one.
  6. Cover the dough with a wet towel or plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise for about 1-1½ hours. Dough should double in size.
  7. Tip the dough out onto your work surface and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  8. Divide it into six evenly-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a strand. Then take a rolling pin and roll the strand lengthwise so that it forms a long rectangle. Brush with the garlic mixture and roll-up jelly-roll style so that it reforms a strand. Repeat with remaining strands. Braid each three strands together, yielding two challahs. Brush the top of the loaves with more of the garlic mixture and sprinkle lightly with flaked sea salt (optional).
  9. Transfer loaves to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper OR two loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place for another 30-45 minutes. Brush gently with more of the garlic mixture and place in the oven. OPTIONAL: If you prefer a shiny finish on your challah, brush with a beaten egg and then add the second layer of garlic mixture.
  10. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with the garlic mixture. Return to oven, lower temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 20 minutes. NOTE: Time will fluctuate depending on your oven and the type of pans you used. I used disposable aluminum pans - for real bakeware you may want to lower the temperature and/or reduce the time slightly. Loaf should be golden on top, and firm on the bottom.
  11. Remove from oven and as soon as possible (if you try immediately, they may break, so wait 10-15 minutes) transfer to a cooling rack and brush again generously with the garlic oil. If you don't have a cooling rack, you risk the bottom of your challah going soggy (this is a risk in general, but particularly with the garlic oil we've been dousing the loaves with. If that happens, put your challah back in the oven for a few minutes, directly on the oven racks (no pan). That will crisp up any soggy spots very quickly.