Olive Oil Challah

With Fridays off during the summer, I can easily make fresh bread for Shabbat dinner. Since we had no more frozen, store-bought challahs, I decided to make one from a recipe I’ve been meaning to try, featuring olive oil and orange juice.

The recipe comes from New York Times Cooking. I had a bunch of errands to run during the morning, so I made sure to take out my eggs and oranges from the fridge to let them warm to room temperature, until I could make the dough after lunch.

I made this challah following the recipe pretty closely, and used the optional orange zest. I needed almost the full 3 hours for it to double, as the weather has been quite cool lately. For shaping, I stuck with a simple three-rope braid.

My house smelled amazing, with the fragrance of fresh bread mixed with the heady aroma of citrus. The loaf browned beautifully thanks to two coats of egg wash. It was also quite light and fluffy, with a beautiful golden interior thanks to the three yolks and orange juice. This pareve loaf is a winner, and one I’ll definitely make again in the future. I can’t wait to try it in French toast!