Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with an apple challah bread for a sweet new year. Apple challah is a special woven round loaf of spongy, eggy bread, flecked with apples, and sweetened with honey. The round shape is symbolic of the continuing cycle of the year and seasons, is lightly sweet, and especially delicious served with a drizzle of honey.
- 1/4 oz active dry yeast (1 pkg)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water (100 degrees)
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup canola oil (+ oil for coating the bowl)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 large apples (I prefer Braeburn)
- 2 tsp sugar
- Topping: 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
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Whisk the yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar and warm water together in the bowl of a standing mixer (if using) or another large bowl. Let stand for 5 mins until foamy.
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Whisk in the eggs, honey, oil and salt. Add the flour and stir to combine.
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Using the dough hook attachment for a standing mixer, knead the dough for 5-7 mins until it is smooth (it will be a little sticky). Alternatively, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface by hand for 10 mins.
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Scrape the dough into a large, well oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand a room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
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Peel, core and chop the apples into 1/2 inch chunks and toss with 2 tsp sugar.
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Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces.
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Use your hands to roll each piece into a 12 inch rope and flatten to about 3 1/2 inches wide. Working with one piece at a time (cover the others with a slightly damp towel), spread 1/4 of the apples along one side of the flattened dough strip. Fold over lengthwise and press the edges lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining three pieces.
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To weave the dough, lay two pieces lengthwise next to each other (almost touching). Now use the other two pieces to weave it tic tac toe style, one side is over/under, the next row is then under/over across the middle.
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Next, pick up the piece that was under and pull it over its partner to the side. Repeat with the three "under" pieces. Now, reverse the direction and pull the "unders" over their partners. Tuck the ends underneath to form a round shape.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
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Place the woven round on the baking sheet and cover it very loosely with plastic wrap or a slightly damp towel. The dough should rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size and it doesn't spring back when lightly pressed.
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Whisk the egg with the water and brush over the top and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
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Bake for 35 mins until golden brown. If the crust begins to brown too deeply during baking, cover with aluminum foil. Slice and enjoy!
- Test your yeast by whisking it with a little sugar and water and allow it to sit for a couple minutes. The mixture should activate and foam...this will indicate that it is working.
- Cut the apples into a 1 - 1/12 inch dice so they will cook evenly and not make the dough to difficult to weave.
- Sprinkling the apples with sugar will give them a boost of sweetness and prevent them from browning.
- Cover the remaining dough ropes loosely with a damp towel when adding the apples to prevent them from drying out.
- I recommend turbinado sugar for topping for an added crunch (granulated sugar will dissolve a bit).
- If the bread is browning too quickly during baking, cover loosely with aluminum foil.