Name: Holiday Apple-Raisin Challah
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 4 hours
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons dry yeast; 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup (155 g) granulated sugar; 5 large eggs; 3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 6 cups (870 g) all-purpose flour; 1 large firm-tart apple (about 8 ounces), peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes; 1/2 cup (65 g) raisins; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons honey; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 egg yolk

Holiday Apple-Raisin ChallahSquire Fox

The trick to making great challah is to add just enough eggs and oil to the dough so that it tastes rich and moist without becoming heavy and sticky. My friend Kathy Cohen gets it exactly right—her bread, stuffed with apples, raisins, and cinnamon, is the highlight of her annual Jewish New Year feast. For years, I'd count the days between slices, until I finally decided to ask for the recipe.

Apple Notes: There aren't a lot of apples in this bread, so you want a variety that really stands out. Therefore, green firm-tart apples, such as Granny Smith and Rhode Island Greening, are the perfect choice here.

Equipment: 2 large baking sheets, rimmed or unrimmed

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

113 of Our Best Bread Recipes
Savory or sweet, 3-day project or 1-hour quick loaf, whatever kind of bread you want to bake, it's here.

Classic French Bouillabaisse With Rouille

This flexible recipe is all you need to bring this iconic Provençal seafood stew to your table.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Recipe notes

113 of Our Best Bread Recipes