Ways to spice up your challah

I think challah is perfection in itself. But, if you want to do a bit more than your usual braid, here’s some of my favorite ways to up your game.

Everyone seems to have their own special challah recipe, so all these tips will work with any basic challah recipe. If you are looking for a great recipe, check out ours here.

For using extra dough or for an extra special dessert, challah dough can be made into monkey bread. First prepare your dough as usual, and after rising, oil a pan, preferably a bundt pan. Next, either just grab little balls of dough, or roll out the dough and slice into strips both ways to get little squares to roll. You should aim for balls around 1 inch across. Melt a few tablespoons of butter. Then combine in a bowl with 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then use a fork to dip each ball into the melted butter and then the brown sugar and cinnamon. Place the balls into the pan, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for half an hour to an hour. Once the dough has risen, bake for 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

Leave the bread to cool for a few minutes. Make a glaze by whisking 1 ½ cups icing/confectioners sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of milk. Finally, tip the monkey bread out onto a plate, and allow to cool for around 10 minutes and then drizzle on the glaze. This is great warm but it can be kept in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

For a tasty dessert, try cinnamon rolls. Again, start with prepared dough and a greased pan. A round pan also works well with this. Roll out the dough to a rectangle about 1-2 cm thick. Then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and ¾ a cup of brown sugar over the dough. Starting with one of the long sides of the dough, roll it up and slice into 1 1/2 inch wide rounds. Then arrange in the pan and bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and glaze with 1 1/3 cup icing/confectioners sugar and 2 tablespoons of water.

Dressing up your loaf

There are innumerable flavor combinations that can be combined with challah, and here are some great ones.

Nutella 

Start be rolling your strands, then make an indent down the center with the side of your hand and add 1-2 tablespoons of nutella to each strand. Pinched closed and braid as usual.

Cardamom

Add a pinch of cardamom and, if you want, a handful of dried cranberries, to the dough for a fantastic festive loaf.

Sun dried tomato

First mix 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese and ⅓ cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes with fresh herbs of your choice. Then after rising, roll your strands and flatten slightly so you can lay the filling down the center and pinch shut to close it. Then braid as normal.

Cinnamon

Begin by rolling each strand out into a rectangle, Spread with a mixture of a few tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Roll up from a long edge, and repeat for the other strands. Continue as normal.

Jam

Roll each strand out into a rectangle and spread with a jam or jelly of your choice. Roll up from a long edge, and repeat for the other strands. Then braid and continue.

Chocolate

Start by rolling each strand out into a rectangle. Next, spread with a mixture of a few tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Then roll up from a long edge, and repeat for the other strands. Braid.

Presentation

Finally, to present your challah, why not try tying a ribbon around the center? Or, check out our awesome baskets, covers and boards? Try this unique basket and matching cover, or for a simple presentation, try this hand-painted challah tray combined with this cover, or any others you may have or find.