Recipe

Challah is rich in egg yokes, giving the bread a yellow color, and contains either sugar or honey, making it slightly sweet. Challah is allowed to rise twice before it is braided, then allowed to rise a third time before baking. It is painted with egg yokes to give it a golden appearance.

Braiding

Challahs are braided using either three stands of rolled dough or four strands, which is a more complicated process but gives the bread its distinctive look. Observant Jews will pinch off a piece of challah and bake it separately--actually, burn it--as a symbol of the portion of bread Jews gave their high priests during ancient times, according to Jewish Recipes.org. The word "challah" actually refers to this special piece of bread.

Challah Blessing

Jews traditionally say a Hebrew blessing before eating bread, including challah: "Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz," which means, "Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."

Holiday Challah

To celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah, Jews add raisins to the challah dough and braid the bread in a circle to represent God's crown, according to Jewish Recipes.org.

Excepted Holiday

Jews do not serve challah during the eight days of Passover, when they are commanded to eat only "unleavened" bread -- bread with no yeast. During Passover, Jews eat matzoh, a flat, cracker-like bread.

Source:

Jewish Recipes

More Information:

How to Braid a Challah