challah

noun chal·lah \ ˈḵä-lə , ˈhä- \

variants: or less commonly challa or hallah

Updated on: 7 Apr 2018

Definition of challah

plural challoth or challot play \ˈḵä-ˌlōt, -ˌlōth, -ˌlōs, ˈhä-\ or challahs also challas play \ˈḵä-ləz, ˈhä-\ or halloth or hallot play \ˈḵä-ˌlōt, -ˌlōth, -ˌlōs, ˈhä-\ or hallahs play \ˈḵä-ləz, ˈhä-\

: egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually braided or twisted before baking and is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and holidays

challah was our Word of the Day on 02/05/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of challah from the Web

Thick slices of challah bread are stuffed with sautéed apples in this decadent French toast recipe.

— Country Living, "Apple French Toast," 27 July 2010
Fresh crumbs from challah will be richer, more delicate and lighter than those from a sturdy boule.

— evan kleiman, latimes.com, "The outrageously simple joy of bread crumbs, plus a recipe for cauliflower steaks with (surprise!) garlicky bread crumbs," 9 Mar. 2018
Whisk together egg white, 1 teaspoon water and 1 pinch salt; brush over challah.

— leah eskin, chicagotribune.com, "How to make egg bread dough for pull-apart challah (or Parker House rolls)," 21 Feb. 2018
After making challah, a piece is typically broken off and burned as an offering, Dubov said.

— ryan gillespie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Central Florida Mega Babka-llah Bake teaches Jewish heritage," 18 Feb. 2018
On Sundays during its first summer, a different sort of Jewish community gathered here over challah, cucumber salad and potato casserole.

— daniel a. gross, Newsweek, "Poland's Jewish Culture Rises From the Ashes of Persecution," 27 Jan. 2015
At Tal's Hummus, shakshouka is served with tahini, pita and challah bread, and a side salad that includes delicious pickles imported from Israel.

— judy walker, NOLA.com, "Shakshouka for Lent? Israeli dish of eggs and tomatoes is perfect any time," 2 Mar. 2018
Shape: Divide dough into 16 portions for challah, 15 for rolls.

— leah eskin, chicagotribune.com, "How to make egg bread dough for pull-apart challah (or Parker House rolls)," 21 Feb. 2018
Strangers sit together around tables lit by candles and soft Edison bulbs as a girl prays over the challah bread, and a smoky, toasted scent of curry wafts through the open doors on a crisp, 60-degree Friday night.

— carlos frías, miamiherald, "It’s hip. It’s eclectic. It’s Shabbat dinner, Wynwood style — and everyone’s invited," 25 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'challah.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

challah Comes From Yiddish

When English speakers first borrowed challah from Yiddish, they couldn't quite settle on a single spelling, so the word showed up in several forms; challah, challa, hallah, and the plural forms challoth, challot, halloth, and hallot were all common enough to merit inclusion in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged when it was released in 1961. Today, challah and the anglicized plural challahs are the variants that are usually encountered by English speakers. The initial ch of challah is frequently pronounced as a velar fricative, like the ch in the German Buch or the Scottish English loch.