Challah braiding is so much easier than you think. From a 3-strand braid to a 4-strand braid to a knotted roll, you'll be an expert in no time. Post includes visual and written instructions.

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Braiding challah with 4 strands with one hand showing on the right.

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Braiding Challah is Fun!
Basic 3-strand Braid
Basic 4-strand Braid
Basic 6-strand Braid
Challah Roll Knot
Single Strand Braid (or knot)
Challah Braiding

Braiding Challah is Fun!

Great challah braids start with great dough, here are 3 wonderful dough recipes on my blog or use the Bubbe's challah dough in my book on pg. 22!

Easy Challah recipe with a hint of citrus (almost no rise time required)
Challah Rolls (you can make a braided challah from the dough or shape as rolls)
Lonni's Round Challah Recipe

In the early days of my blog, dough was my nemesis. If there was yeast or kneading or lots of butter and flour involved, my baking blood pressure rose. Once I conquered my dough anxiety, next came the shaping unknowns.

How should I divide up the dough? What should each piece weigh? How long should each strand be? How many strands do I need? What kind of braid? or no braid at all? Round or oblong or roll?

While I can't cover every single possible permutation in one post, by the end of this challah braiding treatise, you'll be ready to tackle shaping challah dough with calm confidence!

And remember, despite starting off with a fear of dough, I've now written a book on baking full of so many different doughs. If I can do this, so can you!

Basic 3-strand Braid

Length of strands: 14 - 16 inches for a small loaf, 20 - 22 inches for a larger loaf
Small loaf strand weight: 150 grams each
Large loaf strand weight: 200 grams each

For this challah braid, start by connecting the dough strands together at the top end. Then spread the strands apart.

This technique is akin to braiding hair. But for those of you that aren't familiar with braiding hair, here is another way to think about it. Place the right strand over the middle, then the left over middle (or vice versa).

Doesn't matter which side you start on. As the outside strand moves over the middle, you'll notice that you are creating a new middle!

Just continue on down until you run out of strand and press the ends together and fold them under.

Two hands connecting three strands of challah together to start a 3-strand challah braid.

To demonstrate challah braiding for a 3-strand, we see the first strand being placed over the middle strand.

For a 3-strand braid now we see the left strand moving over the middle.

To demonstrate challah braiding, we now see a 3-strand braid almost complete.

3-strand braid of challah dough completed.

Two 3-strand challahs side by side near a challah cover.

Basic 4-strand Braid

Length of strands: 14 - 16 inches for a small loaf, 20 - 22 inches for a larger loaf
Small loaf strand weight: 150 grams each
Large loaf strand weight: 200 grams each

As lovely as a 3-strand braid is, the extra strand in this version does give the loaf a bit more depth and shape. It's quite lovely.

For this braid, I like to keep the concept simple. Think about only two strands at a time. Count 1, 2 from the right and 1,2 from the left. The song in my head is "2 up, 1 over. Then count 1,2 on the other side and repeat "2 up, 1 over." Continue "singing" this tune as you repeat this from side to side.

As with the 3-strand challah braid, connect the strands together at the top. Starting on the right or left, bring the second one UP and over the 2 strands to its left and bring the first strand OVER the strand that is now adjacent to it. In the fourth photo below I am using my hand to count 1,2 from the right to remind myself which strands to use next.

4 strands of challah dough connected to demonstrate challah braiding.

The second strand is going up and over to start the 4-strand braid.

Now the first strand is being placed over the adjacent strand.

A hand is pointing to the new two strands on the right to demonstrate challah braiding.

Just keep repeating in your head: 2 UP, 1 OVER until you reach the end of the strands; then press the last bit of dough together and fold it under. Now you have a lovely 4-strand challah braid! Bake it as a loaf or form it into a circle, connect the two ends and you have a challah in the round. Or put an oven-proof ramekin in the center for a honey pot! Check out my Round Challah for Rosh Hashanah post for all the details.

The 4-strand braid continues and is nearly ⅔ complete.

The 4-strand braid continues to demonstrate challah braiding.

4-strand braid nearly complete as we see the strands are almost fully braided.

4-strand braid complete and ready to go!

Below is a 4-strand challah that was baked in a circle around an oven-proof ramekin. Remember, you can do this with a 3-strand or 6-strand as well!

Round challah with a white ramekin in the center filled with honey and one slice cut out of the bread.

Basic 6-strand Braid

Length of strands: 14 - 16 inches for a small loaf, 20 - 22 inches for a larger loaf
Small loaf strand weight: 150 grams each
Large loaf strand weight: 200 grams each

A 6-strand braid is one I usually attempt when I want a really regal looking challah. Just as the 4th strand gives a challah a bit more stature, the 6 strands amp it up even more.

For this braid, I fall back on what I learned from Joan Nathan. You can see her performing a 6-strand herself in the video in this post for an easy challah recipe.

Like a 4-strand, I think about only two strands at a time. As always, separate out your strands with breathing room between them all. Then starting on either side, pick up the outside strand and lay it over the two adjacent to it. As Joan taught me, this is "outside over 2". Then take the strand that is next to the last strand on the other side of the challah and bring it up and over all the strands. This is what Joan and I call "next to the last to the outside". Sing these two phrases over and over again until you make it all the way down the challah.

6 strands of challah dough ready to be braided.

Demonstrating bringing the outside strand over 2 for a 6-strand challah braid.

Demonstrating bringing the next to the last strand to the outside of all the strands in a 6-strand braid.

To recap: As with the 3- and 4-strand challah braid, connect the strands together at the top. Starting on the right or left, bring the outside strand over 2, then grab the strand next to the outside strand on the other side and bring it up and over all strands to the outside.

Demonstrating outside strand over 2 for a 6-strand challah braid.

Demonstrating next to the last to the outside strand technique for a 6-strand challah braid.

Further down the braid, demonstrating outside over 2 strands again for a 6-strand challah braid.

Next to the last to the outside strand demonstration for a 6-strand challah braid.

Finished 6-strand challah braid with two hands adjusting it.

Finished 6-strand braided challah on parchment ready to rise.

Remember to check out this easy challah recipe for the video of Joan making a 6-strand braid at a class I attended with her. Even she has to think about it for a minute but ends up with a beautiful loaf. And below is probably my best challah bake and braid I ever did! Remember, if I can do it, you can too!

Side view of a baked loaf of challah with seeds on it and an orange in the foreground.

Challah Roll Knot

Length of strand: at least 9 inches
Strand weight: 100 grams each (½ for mini rolls)

Challah rolls are lots of fun to make and eat. This braiding technique is really just a knot with connected ends. Form a ribbon shape by folding your challah strand in half and placing the right end over the left. Then grab the end that is underneath and bring it up and through the center hole.

Demonstrating a challah roll knot, we see the first crossover of the strand.

Now the strand underneath is being place through the center hole.

We can see the strand all the way through the center hole.

Next, take the other lonely end and connect it to the end that just went through the center. You now have a knotted challah roll.

Now the loose end is placed underneath the dough to meet the end that was just placed through the middle.

A hand is connecting the two ends of the challah strand.

A hand is holding the finished challah roll knot.

Here is an Instagram video showing this technique!

Two hands about to pick up a knotted baked challah roll with a round challah roll in the background.

Single Strand Braid (or knot)

Length of strand: 24"

People love to watch this loaf come together from a single strand of challah dough. In fact, my video has almost 2M views on Instagram! Here I will break it down for you step-by-step in photos and words. Try this sometime with an extra piece of dough or make a whole bunch of these little loaves and give them away to family and friends!

First steps are to form a p-shape from the single strand. Then grab the leg of the "p" and bring it up and into the circle of the "p", pulling it toward the left as you do.

Step 1 of making a single strand challah braid showing the key formation.

Step 2 of making a single strand challah braid pulling the leg of the key up into the circle.

Step 3 of single strand challah braid showing the leg of the key going further into the circle.

The next step is to twist the circle of the "p" to create a smaller circle

Step 4 of single strand challah braid showing the circle being turned turned into a smaller circle by twisting it.

Step 5 of single strand challah braid showing the resulting shape of the circle formed from the twist.

Then grab the leg strand you previously brought up and under and pull it over to the right into that new smaller circle you just created!

Step 6 of challah braid with a single strand showing the leg of the key being pulled towards the newly created hole on the right.

Step 7 is to push that strand into the smaller circle and press it firmly into the dough circle underneath.

Finally affix the piece of the dough on the left underneath and you have a mini loaf of "braided" challah dough (kind of an elaborate knot).

last step of single strand challah braid showing the piece of strand on the left about to be affixed underneath to finish off the loaf.

Strand is affixed and loaf is ready for final rise.

Showing the whole single strand braid ready for final rise and then bake.

Here is the Instagram video showing the whole technique!

Proceed as with other challah doughs from this point forward - let them have a second rise, then egg wash, decorate and bake!

Two single strand challah braid loaves ready to bake.

One single strand challah loaf baked on parchment with sesame seeds on top.

With a good dough and a positive attitude, challah braiding is easy and fun!

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