Double-Braided Shavuot Challah with Milk, Butter and a Flour Dusting

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Dough base

1. 1
   Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Add the lukewarm milk and eggs and Knead on low speed 3 minutes. Add the butter in several additions and knead another 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

   ⚙ KneadingBowlStand mixerStand mixerDough hook

   💡Butter added only after the gluten has developed doesn't stop it from stretching: the rich dough comes out smooth and soft, not sticky.

   💡For yeast dough, use the windowpane test: a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing, and that's the sign the kneading is done. Add flour only by the tablespoon, and only if the dough is still sticky after a few minutes: too much flour makes a tough dough.
3. 3
   Cover and Let rise about an hour and a half in a warm place, until the dough doubles in size.

   ⚙ ProofingPlastic wraporKitchen towel

   💡Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. The dough is ready when it has doubled, and a gentle finger press leaves a dent that fills back slowly; if it springs right back, wait longer.

To assemble

1. 4
   Divide the dough into two parts, one of two thirds and one of one third. Divide each part into 4 balls and roll each into a rope; the thin ropes are as long as the thick ones.
2. 5
   Braid the thick ropes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Braid the thin ropes, flatten the center of the large braid a little with your palm, set the small one on top and press lightly so it sticks.

   Baking panParchment paper

   💡Braid without stretching: a stretched rope shrinks as it rises, and the braid tears in the oven.
3. 6
   Let rise again 45 minutes.

   ⚙ ProofingPlastic wraporKitchen towel
4. 7
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
5. 8
   Beat the yolk with the milk and brush it over the challah. Sift a thin layer of the flour over the top, and with a sharp knife cut a shallow slit in the middle of each bend of the braid.

   Sifter

   💡A yolk without the white gives the challah a darker, glossier color than a whole egg.
6. 9
   Bake 35–40 minutes, until the challah is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If the top braid browns too fast, cover it with foil after 20 minutes.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking panAluminum foil

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
7. 10
   Cool on a rack at least 30 minutes before slicing.

   Cooling rack