Gigi’s No-Knead Sourdough Challah

Homemade sourdough challah that’s easy enough to make every Friday.

INGREDIENTS

• 227g ripe (fed) sourdough starter
• 3 eggs, plus enough for egg wash
• 1/4 cup melted butter or olive oil, plus
• 70g honey or sugar (5tbsp), plus
• enough lukewarm water (125-200g) depending on if you used honey or sugar) water to make
• 397g water including eggs, honey & butter
• 602g Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1 tablespoon (18g) salt
• 1 egg for egg wash

DIRECTIONS

Weigh your flour.

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Mix and stir everything together to make a sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the paddle attachment until it all comes together. A minute or two. If you don’t have a stand mixer, just stir until everything is combined.

Leave the dough in the bowl, cover it with a silicone lid or a piece of plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1 hour.

Gently fold it over on itself 6 to 8 times, cover and let it rise for 1 hour.

Repeat the rising-folding process one last time for a total of 3 hours. 

Refrigerate the bowl and allow the dough to rest for at least 8 hours, up to 48 hours. 

Shaping and proofing the dough:

Take dough out of the fridge and turn out onto a board. You can divide the dough in two for two smaller loaves or keep it as one giant loaf. Divide into the number of strands you plan to use in your braid, all equal weight more or less, and allow to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes. 

Line one large sheet pan with parchment paper. Punch down your dough and make long “snakes” of dough by rubbing together between your hands. Let dough rest for a few minutes if it keeps snapping back. Braid or shape your loaf as desired and position on the prepared sheet. Cover with a damp tea towel. Let proof until doubled in size, about 5 hours

Baking:

Proof loaves for 5 hours then brush them with the egg wash.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon water, cream or milk for an egg wash

Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until nice and brown and the bread reaches 210F in the middle. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

NOTES

Can also bake in 2 loaf pans for 25-35 minutes