- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
A Note From feedfeed
There is something about the smell of challah that is utterly intoxicating. The entire process from start to finish is so satisfying; blooming the yeast, enriching the dough with bright and beautiful Handsome Brook Farm Pasture-Raised Eggs and kneading it all together by hand. Plus, the dough comes together in just one bowl with not too many ingredients; no special equipment needed! We shaped this basic challah dough into pretzel shapes and topped them with flaky salt and poppy seeds, but you could also bake it into a standard braided loaf as well. We love the portability of the pretzels, so you can grab and go! Thanks to our friends at Handsome Brook Farm for keeping our test kitchen stocked with the most delicious eggs out there!
Discover more of our favorite Handsome Brook Farm recipes here!
Recipe Card
For the Pretzel Challah
ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 115°f
- 1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 teaspoons, divided
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 large Handsome Brook eggs, divided
- 2 large Handsome Brook egg yolks
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Poppy seeds, for garnish
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
For the Mustard Aioli
ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 large Handsome Brook egg yolks
- 1 cup olive oil
Method
Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together milk and 2 teaspoons sugar, then sprinkle yeast over. Let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
Step 2
Whisk in remaining ¼ cup sugar, oil, 2 tablespoons honey, salt, 2 eggs and egg yolks, then beat with a whisk until smooth.
Step 3
Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With motor running on low, add flour gradually until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and mix until smooth, 2 minutes. Turn the dough onto a clean, floured surface and shape into a smooth, elastic ball. Oil a large bowl and place ball of dough inside it, turning the dough once to coat it in oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot to rise and double in volume, about 2 hours.
Step 4
When dough has doubled, turn it onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down to deflate. If dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. Cut the dough into 10 even pieces, about 4 ounces each. Roll each piece out to a 20-inch rope and shape into small pretzels. Divide between two parchment-lined sheet pans.
Step 5
Preheat oven to 350°F. Drape prepared loaves with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise again until puffy, 30-40 minutes.
Step 6
While rising, whisk remaining ½ tablespoon honey with remaining 1 egg. Once risen, brush liberally on challah pretzels. Garnish with poppy seeds and flaky sea salt and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Step 7
Meanwhile make the aioli: In a mortar, use pestle to mash garlic with salt into a paste. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in lemon juice, mustards, honey, cayenne pepper and egg yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in oil until thick and creamy. Adjust seasoning with salt, then serve with warm challah pretzels.