Spelt Challah Recipe and Variations. No Kneading Options
Spelt Challah
This is the only challah I will consider making! Spelt is my all time favorite flour.
It is no wonder the public often thinks there is no way to enjoy a delicious slice of spelt challah or bread: it often comes brick-heavy in stores. I have the modest hope of helping you change your mind. My spelt challah is light and delicious!
It’s not so much in the recipe, no matter how good:
It’s all in the kneading!
Read about my secrets of good whole grain bread: It’s all there! This kneading primer will make a pro out of you. Troubleshoot before you dive in. Pretty soon bread baking will become a pleasure for you!
Spelt is my flour of choice, not only for baking bread but for all baked goods. I use whole grain spelt flour. If you would rather use wheat flour, all-purpose will do, as well as whole wheat pastry flour. Pastry flour is ground much finer than whole wheat “bread flour”. As a result, it yields a much lighter dough.
Kneading spelt dough is somewhat different from kneading the regular wheat dough you might be used to. The lower-gluten spelt dough behaves differently with the liquid absorption: it will be understandably slower. Be patient: Practice makes perfect!
No-Knead Spelt Challah Dough:
Before I let go of the subject: Does kneading intimidate you? Read all about my No-Knead Challah Recipe with a tried and true method!
I Urge you to Try Spelt!
Spelt is the ultimate wonder balking flour: why eliminate gluten if all you need to do is reduce it? Spelt is low in gluten, high in fiber, high in protein, high on flavor. The dream résumé, right? There is nothing I don’t do with it. And if a dark looking break bothers you, use white spelt flour: it is not bleached, heaven forbid; it is just sifted! Otherwise, go for the dark unsifted whole grain spelt
Wrap Challah Very Carefully!
This step is key! Loosely wrapped challah will reappear as mediocre challah. It tends to absorb unwanted and objectionable freezer odors. But when you wrap it very tightly and add accurate date, you will take it out fresh and smelling like you just baked it.
Variation on Spelt Challah
Scroll down for Rosh Hashanah Raisin Challah, and Challah rolls. All much easier to shape than you think. In general, for festive occasions, a larger challah is more dramatic, so be sure to always include a couple larger loaves beside the smaller rolls.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 4 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup honey, sucanat or maple syrup
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 12 cups spelt flour, a little more only if needed
Topping:
- 1 egg, beaten with 1/4 cup water
- Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions
Mix the yeast, water and honey or sugar in a big bowl, and let the mixture bubble for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, oil and salt, and beat. Add the flour, and mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to a lightly-floured flat working surface, and knead for about 15 minutes, turning the dough a quarter of a turn every 2-3 minutes and punching it down often to eliminate any air pockets (or transfer the mixture to the bowl of a dough maker. Set for 10 minutes of kneading). Transfer the kneaded dough into a big mixing bowl (remember, it will expand). Sprinkle flour all around the dough. Let rise, covered with a cloth, in a warm draft-free area for 2 hours.
Shape the Challah:
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Divide each piece into thirds and roll each third into a long thin rope. Pinch the 3 ropes together at one end to hold them in place. Braid, and place the braid on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Place the loaves well apart in the pan (you might need more than a pan: Bake one at a time). Brush each loaf with the egg-and-water mixture, and top with seeds if desired. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Raisin Challah
Served on Rosh Hashanah. Add two cups of raisins to the dough, shape it into 4 round loaves (for each loaf, make a long thin rope, and roll it into a coil)
Challah Rolls
They need a shorter baking time. Check for doneness after 30 minutes.
Hi Levana.
I would like to do this chala recipe. But I don’t have beard machine. Can I use mixer?
Thank you
Naama I don’t know the power of your mixer. If it is just a regular mixer, chances are, bread batter is much too heavy for it. I would say, roll up your sleeves and KNEAD! You will be amazed at the results. I always knead my dough by hand, and my bread comes out amazing! Follow my guidelines, it’s all there!
Hello there, Levana!
I have read and re-read this recipe and the questions/answers/comments…
I’m gearing up to try it myself.
My question is regarding the eggs: how necessary are they? If the recipe didn’t call for 4, I would just experiment and leave them out. Just wondering what you think about leaving them out altogether.
Also, what about making a half-spelt recipe as we are transitioning?
Thanks so much!
Wishing you all the best!
Hi Sarah, Yes half spelt will work. You will see in the recipe that there is a water (no egg) challah variation, and the very minor adjustments you need. Let me know how you challah comes out, and post pix!
I used sprouted whole grain spelt and ended up having to add 3 extra cups is flour to get it dough consistency for kneading. Did I do something wrong??
Celanie, my recipe says nothing about sprouted flour. I have never tried it, so I don’t know.
Hi Levana!
I tried this recipe but my challahs split in the middle while baking!!!
What did I do wrong??
I followed exact directions
Elmira Dough recipes are never exact. Practicing kneading will get you better each time!
How did they taste?
Hi Levana, is this enough flour to make a bracha?
Meghan I think so.
Are you using white spelt or whole spelt in the recipe?
Adelle I use whole grain spelt. It is very finely ground so I get great results. White spelt goes through an extra sifting, and will work too.
Are you using white or whole spelt flour here?
Adelle so sorry I cant remember if I answered this. For bread baking I use whole grain spelt flour.
Thank you for this great recipe! My husband just started cutting wheat bread from his diet and replacing with spelt bread, so I made a half batch of this spelt challah for him for Shabbos. He liked it so much that I think I’m going to be using this recipe to make spelt bread for him to eat during the week instead of the hard and tasteless store-bought spelt bread. And my 7 year old daughter told me that she likes the spelt challah better than my regular (homemade) wheat challah! Looks like this recipe will be getting lots of use in our home! Thanks again!
(As an aside, and especially for subsequent readers, I have been baking challah for many years so when the dough was still quite sticky after kneading I thought there must be a mistake in the quantity of flour listed and was about to add flour when I read the comments and your responses and decided to skip the extra flour. Indeed, after rising, the dough was more dough-y, but still stickier than I was used to, but I coated my hands with flour while making the strands of dough, and that made the dough nice and easy to work with, and made beautiful braids and delicious challahs with a wonderful consistency!)
Miriam Good move, you didn’t add flour! Please share the picture of your challah!
One cup of flour is how many ml? Is it 250 or 200? The cups in Israel are different from America…
Sarah You will find all equivalencies on google. I am measuring with American cups
Hi
Im trying to find a sugar free version of 100% whole spelt challa. Do you have any suggestions how I could adapt this recipe so that it does not have the honey/maple syrup etc?
Thank you!
Gittelle
Gittelle, of course! Just skip it! I always make bread like this, and it is delicious.
Shavua tov from Jerusalem! I started working with this recipe when my wife had to cut wheat out of her diet for health reasons. I felt bad that she was missing out on all the great bread we used to buy from the shuk… But this is as good if not better! I played around a bit and it for me it works really well with an extra 2 eggs, Olive oil, and maple syrup. I started packing challah muffins for my wife when we go for shabbat with her family, and they all wanted a taste and asked for the recipe! This week I let the dough rise while it still felt a bit too wet, and the bread came out amazingly light and fluffy. Thank you!!!
Avi I am so glad! I am very proud of this recipe, as so many of my fans make it. I brought a gorgeous loaf of it as part of a gift to a Shabbos meal we were invited to. Sold out!
Thank you so much! I made it with white spelt and used honey. I worked with it while it was sticky, used a dot of flour just to pat hands and form braided challah. Everyone loved it, it was soft and fluffy and yummy!
Sharon, I made it for this YomTov, with our Moroccan flavors: Sesame and anise seeds. Sold out:-)))
Thank you levana, I’m so glad I found you!
Can I do it with whole spelt?
Hudi Yes of course!
I making a water challah version and a regular version. Can’t wait to taste!
First time I m trying this and I’m excited. If I halved the recipe, do I let it rise for half the time?
Chana Haha no, cute question, but the rising time is the same.
I’m excited to try this recipe! I just want to get the flour measurement accurate. Is it 4 cups “scooped out” (i.e., more densely packed) or 4 cups “spooned in” (i.e., loosely packed)? I also like to cook with a kitchen scale so if you have exact weight measurements, that would be great too!
Thank you!
Sarah one piece of advice for this and ALL recipes: NEVER tamp the flour. Wherever it reaches the top of the measuring cup, it reaches the top. No pressure and no tamping whatsoever.
is the trick in letting it rise 2 hours or is it also in the recipe?
Tulie, It’s all of the above. Plus practicing. Like I said: You’ll be a pro soon.
hi! i read all the comments before my attempt at making spelt challa for the 1st time.
usually when i used 70% whole wheat, i would knead it for a few minutes by hand and then transfer it in portions to the mixer (to finish kneading) because of problems with my hand. However, i was totally unable to mix this by hand, so i divided it into 3 portions and put them in the mixer. it rose nicely, and then it was very difficult to work with. i put it into 4 round tins (with difficulty – the dough was very sticky…). it rose beautifully in the oven and tasted delicious.
so – my question is – i don’t know the difference between mixing in a mixer and mixing in a bread machine. would the time be the same? what should i do differently next time? thanks
The answer is, practice, practice, practice, you’ll become a pro in no time!
Dear levana,
I ended up braiding after an hour , however my dough was already sour I could smell the yeasty smell over powering . Otherwise the recipe came out perfect . I would there for try it again. What should I do different ? Was the temperature the issue ? ( on top of the oven that was on ) If so what do you recommend ? I live in NY where my kitchen is freezing ….
Michal You left the dough over the stove. This seems to have been the problem. That’s why your dough doubled so fast and soured. A warm place is not on top of an oven. A draft-free place, this is all we need, just as instructed.
Hi Levana,
I’m in the middle of making this recipe after one hour of rising seems more than doubled already . I looked it over the stove which was set to 350 so it’s fairly warm . Should I braid it now or let it rise more ? I’m worried about it over rising and becoming sour
Hi, it seems to be too much yeast in the recipe, is this amount special for spelt flour?
Elisheva, recipe is correct
do you not let the braided loaves rise or just the dough before shaping?
Sarah, Recipe is correct.
Hi, I really like this recipe, it has become my basic recipe now, and we all enjoy it. I just wanted to know if there is anything I can do about the loaves spreading out and becoming really wide in the oven. Does this have to do with the kneading? Also, I use a mixer and the dough is ready much sooner than 15 minutes. Is there any benefit of leaving it in longer?
Thanks so much!
Faigy, no, if you think your dough maker gets it ready sooner, then it’s ready! What I would do is, roll the piece of dough you are using for loaf lightly in flour, it will firm it up on the outside. You can also practice with loaf pans, as they have sides, and won’t allow sideways expansion.
I made this Challah. I live in israel and was a little worried about the different flour and that the consistency would come out differently than yours because of the different ingredients…different flour, different sized eggs than in the US…
Also, I have been making challah for over 20 years and have perfected my recipe but I make it with what we call here 70 percent flour, which is 100 percent whole wheat that 30 percent of the grain has been removed from it. My challahs come out white.
I was a little concerned to see that you said to let it rise only once and for 2 hours. I thought there was a mistake…I later realized that working with spelt flour is competely different than working with regular flour and that the raising technique should be as you wrote.
In any case…the Challahs came out AMAZING and even those of my children that usually wouldn’t go near dark “healthy” Challah liked them. They were fluffy and delicious. Next week BH I will add more flour as I had to add a lot during the rolling out process so it would be feesable to work with.
Also, I thought if I braid the Challah and put in a bread loaf pan, I think they would come out higher and less spread out. Do you think that would be a good idea or do you think it wouldn’t rise and bake thru properly. I do it with regular Challah sometimes and it comes out rectangular but great.
Thank you very much and Shavua Tov!
Nili, Oh yay! My Spelt Challah always gets amazing Mileage! Yes, why not try it in a loaf pan? Please share a picture of the finished Challah made in a loaf pan, for all to share. PS: Make absolutely sure you only add flour after you have kneaded for a good few minutes, in which case you need to add only very little flour if any xo
The dough is far to wet to knead! It’s a sticky mess, any pointers?
Erika No it is not. This recipe works beautifully. Keep kneading, it will come together. Remember, it behaves differently from regular dough because it is low gluten. So the pointer is: Be patient, have faith:-)))
Can I make 1/2 the recipe?
Johni Of course!
Will kneading with a dough work as well if I don’t have a bread machine?
Johni Of course! My mom made the greatest bread, and never had a bread machine!
Hi,
i want to do this recipe but i only use fresh yeast, how can i subsitute
Shelly you will see on the package the equivalencies between dry yeast and fresh yeast.
Hi,
I made a quarter amount using whole spelt flour. After 2 hours rising, the dough didn’t rise at all. It wasn’t sticky like others commented. Is something not good? Afraid it’ll be heavy and a total flop.
Shabbat shalom!
Leah This is not normal. Wondering if your yeast was good, and if you you let it rise away from drafty areas?
If I use white spelt flour (my daughter doesnt touch dark challahs) does it need less water? also i kneaded it in my mixer and after like 4 minutes it was a great dough but the longer i left it kneading the stickier it got. Should i have left it in the mixer another while?
Chavi I would leave the recipe as is with white spelt flour. Here is where a little intuition comes to the rescue. I can’t imagine the dough got stickier after you mixed it, so sorry but it doesn’t make sense. Mix if a while longer, and follow my instructions to add only a little flour, and only if you must.
I made This for the chagim. I Read the other reviews, and like some others, my dough was too sticky to work with. I just want to clarify the advice you gave to the others- if I knead the dough for long enough and strongly, it will become easier to work with? To the point that i’ll be able to make proper braids after without it sticking to the countertop?
I’ve made your other recipes with excellent results before, and I know this can be a great challah if I do it right, I just want to understand more clearly what exactly I did wrong. Even after mine rose, it was still way too sticky to work with to braid.
Thank you!
Rebekah My advice in the recipe is, add flour only a little bit at a time, and only if you absolutely need it. Remember: Spelt is low gluten, the dough won’t look and feel exactly like regular wheat dough. In other words, it takes a little getting used to. Be patient, you’ll get great results, like I do.
Hi Levana,
Thanks for the recipe.
I have made your recipe twice , added flour as needed. Both times the dough was very sticky and hard to work with but the challot came out fluffy and light.
Am I doing something wrong? ( I have been baking with spelt flour for quite some time now and never had the sticky dough issue before).
Thanks,
Shoshana
Shoshana, no, you are not doing anything wrong. Spelt is low a low gluten flour, it needs getting used to, and the rewards are just great. You Challah came out and fluffy: What more could we wish for?
i am disabled and cannot knead the dough by hand. I have the smallest commercial Hobart machine and it kneads dough amazing. when i make high gluten wheat dough, i need it 3 times and rest the dough for 10 minutes in between each kneading. Now I will try your recipe, please advise me how to proceed with the machine.
Rivky The instructions on how to make the dough in the doughmaker are included in this recipe. I wish you wouldn’t use high gluten flour. High gluten in not good for you. Who needs it?
Hi. The Challahs look really fluffy and tasty. Id like to use your Challah recipe using Whole Spelt flour, but Id like to use 5 pounds of flour. How would I adapt your recipe for 5 pounds of Whole Spelt Flour? So far, all my atempts at Challah baking with Whole Spelt flour have been good, but not as fluffy as Id like. Thanks in advance!
Sylvia, Wheat flour is fluffy because it is very high in gluten, the stuff we all love to hate because it is so delicious and so bad for so many of us! So, we must make a concession: Less fluffy, but every bit as delicious (much more delicious in my view and that of many fans. Spelt is all I ever use for absolutely everything), and infinitely more delicious! You want to use the whole 5 pound bag. No problem. Simple math: see how many cups of flour that makes you (with regular wheat, 3 1/4 cups flour = 1 pound, it might vary slightly for whole grain spelt. According to how many cups are in a pound, upgrade all your ingredients accordingly.
I made this last week, it was great
Can it be made without eggs? I have a child with an egg allergy.
(I’m trying to consolidate my challah baking with one challah recipe that works for most :)
Esther Yes of course! It becomes water challah, my favorite!
I tried a lot of different spelt challah recipes until I stumbled upon this one while searching online for spelt recipes, my family loves it. This is a winner in our house! Thank you for the great recipes and advice!
Ooooh Yay Chaya Suri one more fan of my spelt Challah! There is nothing I don’t make with spelt.
Thanks to you I learnt that I can use spelt flour for everything! Now I only use spelt flour and my family loves all my baked goodies!(even some of my guest who were hesitant at first..) I also like that most of your recipes are not extremely sweet and I don’t have to cut down on the sugar. Thanks again!
Chaya Suri, Way to go! After all the fuss about gluten-free (not everyone is celiac!) it’s great to know there’s a wonderful grain out there that does the job of regular wheat, across the board, but with much less gluten, and much superior nutritionally. Wondering if you have my latest cookbook? My dessert section is quite extensive, and I introduce it by listing all my baking ingredient preferences (flours, sweeteners, flavorings etc….) https://levanacooks.com/cookbooks/the-whole-foods-kosher-kitchen/
I made this challah, and although dough was very sticky, after it baked the consistency was great.
However, the challah tastes and smells very yeasty. What could have gone wrong? Why would this happen:(
Devorah it sounds like it might have been left to rise a little too long. You’ll see, practice will make perfect. Because spelt is low gluten, it takes a little practice. Spelt Challah is so much more valuable nutrition-wise and so easily digested. If your dough is very sticky after kneading it a while, add a little flour, just a little, to absorb excess moisture.
I’ve been experimenting with Kamut and spelt flours. I just tried this recipe and I should have read the comments first!
First, let me say that I am NOT an experienced baker by any means.
Like some others I found the dough difficult to work with. When all the ingredients were well mixed it was more liquid-like than dough-like. Still, I turned it out onto my lightly floured granite, dusted my hands in flour and attempted to knead. The dough was too “thin” to knead – and it just got all over me and the counter. I scraped it back together and re-dusted my granite.
I came back, read the comments and made another attempt. I have no clue how to knead when it sticks to my hands so much!
In the end, I popped it into the bread machine for several minutes of beating on the “dough” cycle. It looked more doughy, so I tried again. It was most certainly more dough-like, but still VERY sticky. I kneaded it more, but I never did figure out how to do the quarter turn – it kept sticking to the counter (and me).
We’ll see how things go. It’s rising now.
The “tricks” I figured out were to use a blunt knife to scape the dough off the kneading surface (and my hands).
Now my questions: Should it be much more sticky than “normal” dough when it’s done being kneaded? How do you START the kneading and get it going until it starts to develop? That is, how do you handle the dough and keep it from just sticking to your hands?
It smells lovely, but the crust pulled apart while baking. Sort of like the pieces of the braid moved away from each other. Not nearly so pretty as the ones in the photo on the top of this page!
Shannon after you will make it a couple times, it will look better each time. If the sacrifice we must make is a slight loss in good looks, against getting a fabulous and fabulously nutritious loaf of bread, it doesn’t sound like a terrible loss, does it?
Shannon, as you keep kneading the dough will start pulling away from your hands and your counter. OK to add a little flour, but only after you see that it’s still sticky after kneading it. Remember, spelt has much less gluten than wheat, so some adjustments are in order, but you will find it very rewarding.
hi, im just wondering can i make this challa in a “challa dish”
Leah sorry for asking: what’s a Challah dish?
Hey,
I just got spelt flour and I came across your recipe. I was wondering if this recipe makes 5 pounds. I dont like measuring out the flour and that would make things so much easier. Thank you so much.
Danielle
Danielle so sorry the question is not clear to me. Do you mean is this recipe made with 5 pounds of flour? Not quite. 12 cups is about 3.75 pounds of flour. I highly recommend you measure your flour. 12 cups is 3 times a 4-cup measuring cup, so: Quite simple. Your 5-pound bag flour measures about 16.25 cups, if that can serve as a guide to you. You will love this recipe, a huge favorite:-)
Baked this Challah dozens of times. It’s fantastic! The only Challah my husband will touch. So the dough is a lil sticky b/c spelt is such a fine flour but it’s totally worth the effort!!!
Sima, of course I agree! Besides, the finished baked loaf holds its shape and is feather-light. I confess that like your husband I never go near the conventional challah, homemade or store bought. To me, nothing but nothing is worth all the calories and the white flour. I don’t do “white”:-)
So excited to find this recipe, Levana. I’m not doing wheat these days, but spelt is my friend. I was relieved to see you used whole spelt. I’ll report back when I finally get baking. Found some whole spelt yesterday.
Good for you Suzie! I do absolutely everything with spelt.
What a success! I made half the recipe on the dough cycle in the bread machine and took it out to braid and baked in the oven! As I “babysat” the dough at the beginning of the cycle, i was tempted to add flour b/c it looked so gooey, but I held out and was glad I did! The dough was perfect! Easy to braid and great to work with! I made 2 dozen challah rolls on two cookie sheets, baked for 30 minutes. They have a great texture, not crumbly at all! Delicious!!!!!!!!!!
Do you think I can 1/2 the recipe and make the dough in the bread machine, braid and bake in the oven? Also, do you recommend baking in a challah pan so that the challah does not spread out too much? Thanks! Would love to try the recipe, having eaten only spelt matzoh over pesach and felt soo much better!
Hi Esther,
No problem:-)
BS”D
Thanks Levana,
I just thought I would add that I make the recipe in half and I discovered with my regular challah that if I knead it with powder free disposable plastic gloves, that I don’t need to add extra flour. I am kneading it in the glass bowl itself, not even flouring it and it rises like crazy! Then I braid it and bake it in loaf pans and my husband love it B”H! Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom From Aus
Chaya There you go, you will see that much more than a strict recipe, just as long as the recipe is indeed sensible, practice makes perfect! I do think you should transfer the dough to a flat surface (counter) as opposed to kneading it in a bowl, where you might miss some spots that will go un-kneaded.
BS”D
Hi Levana,
I have cut the recipe down to 1/4. Do I cut down any of the times? ie, kneading time, rising time, baking time?
Kind regards,
Chaya
Chaya, nothing changes. But I would still recommend not dividing the recipe by more than two, because you will be spending just as much time for much less product.
i just made this recipe for the second time, and it turned out great this time! good taste and texture. so happy to have a low gluten option for a bread i love.
key this time was not adding more flour, and for me, starting the “kneading” using a wooden spoon.
There you go Suzanne! Im so glad you persisted, as I encouraged you to. Different flour, different hints. it will become your best friend, just as it is mine and many other fans’
Thanks for your recipe. I accomplished the huge amount. I’m new at Challah so am trying many recipes. I love Spelt and the dough was very nice and smooth. But, unfortunately, I used coconut oil and the bread did not have its usual softness and pull-apart-ness after baked. It was a little dry but it rised (?) nicely. Shalom Lynney
Lynney good for you. when you are new at kneading, don’t get too adventurous with the dough, until you master some of the major steps.
Sorry but this was a total failure. I did exactly what you said but the dough was way too light and sticky and i couldn’t even braid this. I could suggest a spelt challah recipe that my friend gave me that did work. I see others had the same exact problem as i did. I spend a lot of time and effort and it didn’t work. If you want my friends recipe I could get it for you because i know it works. Chodesh tov and Shabbat Shalom.
Batia since you are in the great minority about this recipe, all I can say is, I don’t know what happened. Kneading a spelt dough needs a little getting used to. I always advice adding flour only if absolutely necessary. Since Spelt has less gluten than wheat, it will need a little more kneading. And when shaping challah, roll the shape ropes lightly in flour so they keep their shape. In other words, as always with bread dough, work with this a little more, don’t just follow a recipe, there’s no exact recipe for bread baking, as there are too many variables. You must leave a little room for those variables. It’s all in the kneading, much more than in the recipe. I have much experience with spelt bread, and mine comes out delicious, as well as that of many people who made it several times. i hope this advice helps.
I’m the “challah lady” at our congregation, and there’s one member who can’t eat wheat products so this gives me hope so that I can provide challah for her as well. Thanks for the recipe I’m really grateful that there’s an alteernative to wheat flours.
Izzy I absolutely love spelt. Low gluten, this is what everyone (beside of course those with GF conditions that can have no gluten whatsoever) should explore.
Levana! I was nervous after reading people who couldnt get their dough together but I just had to try because i LOVE your recipes. I must say you were totally right its all about PATIENCE! my challas came out gorgeous and I was sad I only made half the recipes…
I wanted to know, can I use this dough to make a pizza crust? and if not, can you direct me to a recipe?
Thanks!
Gabriella I’m so glad! My dough comes out fantastic! Yes it would be great for pizza!
Hi levana,
I don’t eat wheat so I am excited to try this recipe. Question: can u substitute the vegetable oil for olive oil ? Would rather use a healthier option.
Thanks
Dl
Devorah Leah, yes of course, both oils will be perfect
Thanks for posting. I have your cookbook and love it. Firstly, could I adjust this to mix the dough in my mixer (bosch)? Also, I like to bake 5 pounds of flour at a time would this recipe work doubled or so? Do I need to make any adjustments?
Yes and yes. No adjustments. Enjoy the book!
I’ve made your Challah several times and it is delicious. I make it into small rolls and freeze them fresh.
Thanks for the recipe.
Shana Tova!
Ariela
Way to go Ariela! I also shape this dough into long thin loaves, because I and my whole family prefer lots of crust and very little center
Sorry I meant 4 tablespoons of dry yeast.
All the equivalences are online! You’ll find all you need right there
Hello Levana,
Do you think I can use fresh yeast for this recipe. If yes how much would be equal to 4 cups of dry yeast?
Cheers,
Hava.
Leslie did you really mean 4 CUPS yeast????
all my recipes are 100 percent okay i checked dates and smelled everything before i have used it i never tried the recipe in america only in israel and it always comes out amazing except for the past 3 weeks every week i buy new ingredients same as i always have used the first challah i make of the batch comes out delicious the rest of the dough smells sour can you maybe tell me what flour and yeast you use here?
There is no way I can do this since I don’t live in Israel. Why not ask someone in your neighborhood? Plenty devoted bread bakers in the holy land, and lots of them make my challah recipe:-)))
hi levana i have been baking your recipe for almost a year comes out amazing its the first spelt challah recipe that i LOVE. i have made the recipe EXACTLY and havent changed anything and my dough smells sour it only recently started happening i am from america and moved to the holy land a year ago maybe i dont know how to work the dough in the heat here in the winter i let it rise for 2 hours no problem it was amazing now in the summer i let it rise half hour and it smells so bad what should i do? i changed my yeast that didnt help i changed my flour that didnt help and i dont want to find a new recipe i love this one
pleaseeeeeeee help
Miri I am wondering if, quite simply, one of your ingredients might be off: The yeast, or the flour. If the reeecipe is good in the US, it should be good anywhere. Check your ingredients again for freshness!
Hi Levana, can I one-third the recipe and make it in my bread machine (obviously with ingredients in the proper order for the bread machine)? Thanks.
Of course!
I have to agree with the other posters who said that the dough would not come together. I had to add a lot of extra flour to get it to be anywhere near braidable. I weighed all of my ingredients perfectly. Perhaps there is a clerical error on this particular page? If not, then do share a couple of your expert tips to level the playing field a bit on this one.
Naryia your comment arrived right after this one, take a look:” ”
“Hi Levana, Thank you so much for getting back to me so efficiently. You were actually my inspiration for cooking daily.
My parents worked a lot when I was younger and as a result of late dinners I took up cooking as an eleven year old girl. I have been cooking lots of your recipes for a while! One of the all time favorites is your spelt challah recipe. Its phenomenal. The consistency is perfect and the taste is wonderful! I do not eat wheat so I really enjoy your spelt recipes. This summer I was at JLI with my mother and sister and I sat in all your cooking demos that I loved. Along with watching, taking notes, being awe inspired, and tasting the food, I really loved it. I did not get a chance to buy any of your cook books. I am for ever borrowing them from my neighbor but I think I will buy the new one. Sarah Rider
There is no error in the recipe. If the finished loaf doesn’t look as pristine as wheat bread loaves, it will still look great, and it is a small concession to make for the sake of eating a much healthier bread. Bread baking will never be an exact science. If you need to add a little flour, add a little flour! If you approach breadbaking in a flexible way, you will soon be a pro!
do you have recipe for spelt challah-for 3 challahs
Dear Levana,
The Challah was delicious! Though, the dough was hard to handle. How do I stop it from becoming too sticky?
This is the concession we have to make for using spelt flour. Great rewards, so be patient: Remember, low gluten. Soon enough everything takes perfect shape and flavor. Well worth it!
I did use your recipe; halved. It was difficult to work with the dough and I ended up using 7-8 cups. It rose beautifully but fell just as quickly. Next time I would use my regular recipe with the spelt flour and see how it works. The taste was fine by the way but the texture was far too crumbly which I believe was from too much flour. Unfortunately the dough was so sticky it could not be handled until there was enough flour to keep it from sticking relentlessly from the kneading surface (wood) It was beautiful to look at albeit wide rather than tall. All challah is beautiful though isn’t it? We bake it as a gift and gifts are not to be judged; just received! If you would like to know how mine turns out next week I am happy to let you know. I am currently thinking that perhaps the oil is not a good addition with spelt given it has such little gluten….
Hi Kevin,
In my new cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen: Glorious Meals Pure and Simple, https://levanacooks.com/cookbooks/, I devote a whole chapter to some very important pointers on bread baking. Here’s one of the simple secrets: Resist, resist, resist, adding flour. the dough may look like it will remain gooey and sticky and never come together: big mistake. A lot of the gluten will mix with the moisture during rising, resulting in a smooth firm dough. I must gently but firmly tell you, my recipe is tried and true. In bread-baking, the recipe is only a very small part of the story; the rest is, knowing to work with dough. Just like developing a green thumb! Also, it sounds like you let it rise too long, or it wouldn’t have fallen (make sure you don’t let it rise anywhere too warm). It is wide rather than tall, that’s perfectly understandable: it has lower gluten content! Wood surfaces are not ideal for kneading dough as they are porous and very annoying. Stainless steel, granite etc… is much better.
PS still I will adjust the flour to 4-5 cups, but no more
Hi, We live in Toronto. I bake challah every week and love spelt. My husband just found out he has high cholesterol so I have convinced him to try spelt. I usually make my challah with whole wheat. Rest assured I will report back with my results. I am going to cut the recipe in half. We don’t need four loaves as we have no children at home and make do with 1 large and 2 small challahs. Shabbat Shalom, Kevin Chana
i’m going to try making this recipe this week, for a crowd! my whole wheat challah turned out well and this is a similar recipe so i’m hoping it works out similar.
I was really excited to experiment with this Challah, as I had guests visiting this Shabbat who only eat spelt, and your recipe sounded amazing. Unfortunately, it was a total disaster!! I couldn’t get the ingredients to form any kind of dough whatsoever, instead I was left with sticky liquid goop all over the place and lots of wasted ingredients. Really disappointed! Found another recipe that worked just fine.
Tanya, so sorry for your mishap, but I must tell you here: my recipe is tried and true, and you are totally outnumbered. So many people make my bread recipe and love it: just look at some of the comments. Just this past Monday at my cooking demo (Moroccan Salad Buffet), I made my spelt bread recipe, with all appropriate comments on how to adjust it for both water challah and egg challah, and it was delicious. That demo was taped and will soon be posted on YouTube.
With bread and dough, what counts the most is not the recipe, it is understanding how to make dough. With just a little patience, bread baking with become a pleasure.
I was wondering if this recipe calls for white spelt or whole spelt. I would really like to use whole spelt. If I do so do I need to do anything different. Will it still come out as fluffy?
Of course whole grain spelt flour: Who needs white spelt? It will be just another white grain, and very expensive. Whole spelt is ground extra fine and therefore behaves just like a white flour. I make absolutely everything with whole grain spelt: cookies, cakes, breads, pizza, pasta. My new cookbook is chock full of recipes using spelt! https://levanacooks.com/my-upcoming-cookbook/
Shavua tov, all the way in the Holy Land! How wonderful that you made Aliya! May all of you encounter nothing but nachas and success!
Spelt is not gluten-free, but it is low-gluten: In otehr words, not suitable for the celiac community but suitable and highly desirable for everyone else: low gluten, high fiber, high protein and pleasing nutty flavor.
The recipe is tried and true. Do as you are told, you will be rewarded!
Where in Israel did you settle? Have you found work? Please stay in touch! I will be sending you my weekly newsletter, so don’t hesitate to ask me for anything!
Love and best wishes to all,
Dear Levana, I finally made Aliya. We arrived last day of December. I just got your spelt Challah recipe from Michelle Gross, fabulous friend of mine. I can’t wait to try it. I have only just recently achieved a light Challah, but I mix the spelt with potatoe flour. And it isn’t as fluffy as I want, so I am very excited to try this. I am wondering if I should let the dough rise a second time after braiding, before baking it?? Gluton free is anything but free here in Israel, so I don’t want to mess this up. I look forward to hearing from you. And much love from the Chase family. Shabbat Shalom, Heftziba Chase
Shavua tov, all the way in the Holy Land! How wonderful that you made Aliya! May all of you encounter nothing but nachas and success!
Spelt is not gluten-free, but it is low-gluten: In otehr words, not suitable for the celiac community but suitable and highly desirable for everyone else: low gluten, high fiber, high protein and pleasing nutty flavor.
The recipe is tried and true. Do as you are told, you will be rewarded!
Where in Israel did you settle? Have you found work? Please stay in touch! I will be sending you my weekly newsletter, so don’t hesitate to ask me for anything!
Love and best wishes to all,
this sounds awesome and so simple! im deifnitely going to try it.
You will love it!
I was so excited to see your Challah recipe with Spelt flour but it was WAY too big for a family. My breadmaker would never hold 12 cups of flour. Would you be able to publish a recipe that would make one or two loaves rather than 4? It would be so appreciated!!
Divide the recipe in half: What’s the problem?
Hi. Ever tried this before. Can I substitute Xylitol?
Rivka I stay clear of all artificial sweeteners. The only time I use a packet of any of them is, quite simply, in my Shabbos coffee, to mask the objectionable taste of instant coffee, since I can’t make my fresh cup of coffee. Also it seems to me that since a sweet (real of course) component plays a big role in interacting with the yeast, you would lose that advantage. I hope you don’t!
Does this challah freeze well?
I would like to make it in advance for yom tov.
Debra Yes it freezes beautifully!