I truly enjoyed making this Something For Everyone Challah tutorial with my grandson Isaac. Pull-apart Something For Everyone Challah is a delightful twist on the traditional Jewish braided challah, offering a unique and interactive experience perfect for gatherings. Follow my recipe for creating a soft, tender challah that easily separates into individual portions, each piece becoming a canvas for an array of tempting toppings. This challah that is subtly sweet and rich in flavor, enhanced by a variety of toppings such as sesame seeds, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, or rainbow sprinkles. With something for everyone, this pull-apart challah promises to be a crowd-pleaser. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. yeast  (I use Fleischmann’s Active Dry 1/4 oz pkg—make sure it’s not rapid rise)
  • 1 Cup warm water
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3 Cups plus 2 heaping tablespoons bread flour (I use King Arthur’s unbleached bread flour)
  • 1/4 Cup sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons oil (I use canola oil)

Glaze

  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon water

Toppings

  • Everything topping
  • Poppy seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Sliced almonds
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Minced Onion
  • Minced Garlic
  • Rainbow Sprinkles
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Other toppings of your choice

You will need a 9” or 10” round springform pan to bake the challah. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides of the pan with Pam before you bake the challah.

Place yeast in warm water with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and allow to proof (to bubble up a bit so you know that the yeast are alive) 5 to 10 minutes.

Place flour, 1/4 Cup sugar, and salt in food processor and pulse a few times to mix.

Beat egg and oil in bowl, then add to water/yeast mixture.

Start food processor. Pour in liquids. Process for about 15 seconds.

When all combined, process for another 40 seconds. Dough will be more sticky than when you knead by hand.

Remove from food processor, knead just a few times, adding a little flour if necessary to prevent sticking.

Place in bowl which has been lightly greased with Pam or oil and allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk. This usually takes a couple of hours. Make sure to cover the dough and leave it in a warm place to rise.

Punch down and shape into 7 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round ball. Place one ball in the center of the springform pan. Place the remaing 6 pieces of dough around the center ball.

Cover the bread and allow to rise again for about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water and with a pastry brush, brush the glaze gently on the 7 balls of dough.

Sprinkle various toppings over each ball depending on the preferences of those who will be eating the challah.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 35 minutes.

Challah should come out burnished to a deep golden brown.

Some tips for success: Make sure oven is preheated and it is calibrated to the correct temperature. You can buy an oven thermometer—it will let you know if your oven is at the correct temperature. If not, you can adjust it.

Make sure to use bread flour—it has a higher protein content and consequently a higher gluten content which provides the structure needed for a good bread.

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