Laminated Challah shot overhead
Laminated Challah

Laminated Challah

Recipe by Martin Philip
1 Review 5.0 out of 5 stars

Challah meets croissants in this rich, flaky twist on tradition. Unlike classic challah (which is typically made without dairy so that it can be served at meals that include meat), this version treats the egg-rich, honey-sweetened dough like croissant dough: It’s layered with butter through a series of rolls and folds (aka laminated). Follow the recipe closely (break out the tape measure!) and you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeously striated braid with a butter-crisped crust and a feathery, pull-apart interior reminiscent of a delicious pastry. And if you’ve never laminated before, this is a good place to begin: The super-thin butter block, an innovation of baker Martin Philip, is less prone to shattering. Our thanks to baker Zoe Kanan, whose laminated challah at Elbow Bread in New York City inspired this recipe.

Prep
40 mins
Bake
30 to 35 mins
Total
7 hrs
Yield
1 loaf
Loaf of Laminated Challah sliced on a cutting board - select to zoom
Loaf of Laminated Challah sliced on a cutting board - select to zoom
Interior shot of Laminated Challah - select to zoom
Laminated Challah overhead with honey - select to zoom
Laminated Challah sliced and stacked - select to zoom
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Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. To make the dough: In a large bowl, stir together the water, honey, and yeast. Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes.  

  2. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Add the flour to the bowl with the yeast, followed by the remaining ingredients. Using a dough whisk or bowl scraper, stir until combined and homogenous; the dough will be sticky, not smooth.  

  3. Knead the dough in the bowl, about 1 to 2 minutes, then shape it into a rough ball. Transfer to a greased bowl or 2-quart container.  

  4. Allow the dough to rise at warm room temperature until it doubles in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  

  5. After the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and then press and roll it out until it’s about 10" x 8" in size.  

  6. Place the dough on a lightly floured, parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and freeze for 20 minutes. Once the dough is in the freezer, prepare the butter block. 

  7. To prepare the butter block: Start by making a 7" x 10" parchment envelope: Position a half-sheet (16 1/2" x 12 1/4") piece of parchment with the long side facing you. Fold the left side toward the right, leaving about 2 1/2" of parchment uncovered on the right; fold that uncovered portion over the left to form an envelope that’s about 7" x 12". Fold each of the short ends in 1" to create a 7" x 10" envelope. 

  8. Open the parchment package and place the softened butter in the center of the 7" x 10" rectangle. Use a small offset spatula to spread the butter evenly into a rough rectangle.

  9. Fold the parchment back over the butter so that it's completely enclosed, then use a rolling pin to press the butter into an even thickness all the way to the corners of the parchment package. Hold the package up to a light or window to confirm that the butter is even; if you see a spot that’s lighter than the rest of the block, use the pin to smooth the butter into a more even layer. Once the butter is evenly distributed, place it in the freezer to chill until firm, about 10 minutes. 

  10. Transfer the chilled dough to a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with flour and then roll it into a 14" x 10" rectangle with the long side facing you.  

  11. To lock in the butter: Remove the butter from the freezer and gently open the parchment package so that the butter is exposed. Open the parchment envelope to expose the butter, then invert it onto the center of the dough, exposed-side down. The short sides of the butter block should be facing you; they will meet the top and bottom of the dough exactly (with no butter overhanging); the long side of the butter block will be aligned with the shorter side of the dough and there will be about 3 1/2" of exposed dough to the left and right of the butter block.  

  12. Gently peel away the parchment, holding the butter in place so that it remains in contact with the dough as you peel. Once the parchment is removed, let the butter sit until it yields very easily when gently pressed with your fingertip, 10 to 15 minutes depending on room temperature. (Err on the side of soft butter rather than firm butter, as soft butter is less likely to break during lamination.) 

  13. Once the butter is pliable, fold the sides of the dough in toward the center so that they meet in the middle, covering the butter. Press to seal all the seams shut, completely enclosing the butter. The dough packet should now be roughly 7 1/2" x 10" in size. 

  14. With one of the short sides of the dough packet facing you, gently roll to extend the dough to 8" x 18".  

  15. Brush off any excess flour and perform a letter fold: Fold the dough like a business letter, bringing the bottom third of the dough up and the top third of the dough down and over the top. At this point, the dough packet should measure 8" x 6".  

  16. Turn the dough 90° (a quarter turn) so that one of the short ends is facing you. Roll the dough once more to extend it to 18". Perform a second letter fold. After the fold, the dough should measure about 7 1/2" x 6". As you work, flour the surface and the dough as necessary for rolling, then brush off any excess flour during the folds. 

  17. Turn the dough 90° again so that one of the short ends is facing you, then roll the dough to 10" x 6 1/2". Wrap the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, during which time it will firm up and relax. If at any point during the rolling process the dough resists, wrap it and chill it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before rolling it to the final dimensions of 10" x 6 1/2". 

  18. Lightly grease a 9" x 4" pullman pan. 

  19. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface with one of the short sides facing you. Use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to trim 1/4" off the long edges, reducing the dough packet to 6" wide (trimming the dough exposes the layers along the sides). 

  20. Cut the dough lengthwise into six 10" x 1" strips.  

  21. Brush off any excess flour from the surface of the strips, then lightly brush with water. 

  22. To braid the challah: Pair up the strips into three groups of two, then stack each set by placing the moistened sides on the interior. Press gently so that the strips adhere. You should now have three stacks of two pieces each. 

  23. Place the strands next to each other on the work surface. Loosely braid the strands, gently pressing the ends so that they adhere. (For best results, start the braid in the middle, working your way toward one of the ends. Once you reach the end, rotate the dough 180° and continue in the opposite direction.) 

  24. Place the braid into the prepared pan. Cover and place in a warm spot to proof until very puffy and about 1" from the top of the pan, 2 to 3 hours. 

  25. Toward the end of proof, preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. 

  26. To bake: Place the pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg white, avoiding the exposed layers. 

  27. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the Laminated Challah is deeply browned with no white or light spots between the strands. 

  28. To glaze: Remove the loaf from the oven and leave it in the pan for about 5 minutes. Heat the honey in the microwave in 15-second increments, until runny. Carefully remove the Laminated Challah from the pan, transfer to a rack, and brush generously with the warm honey. Garnish with flaky sea salt, if desired. 

  29. Storage information: Store the Laminated Challah, loosely wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer-term storage. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • To split this process up over two days, make the dough and let it rise for 1 hour at room temperature, until puffy (step four). Cover well and refrigerate overnight. The next day, proceed with the recipe as written: Roll the dough out, refrigerate it, and prepare the butter block. 

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