challah

American  

[khah-luh, hah] / ˈxɑ lə, ˈhɑ /

Also challeh,

noun

1. a loaf of rich white bread leavened with yeast and containing eggs, often braided before baking, prepared especially for the Jewish Sabbath.

---

challah British  

/ ˈhɑːlə, xaˈla /

noun

1. bread, usually in the form of a plaited loaf, traditionally eaten by Jews to celebrate the Sabbath

---

Etymology

Origin of challah

From the Hebrew word hallāh

Explanation

Challah is an eggy yeast bread that's traditionally eaten by Jewish people on Shabbat and other holidays. Braided challah is the most common type. Not only is challah a tasty kind of bread, it's also highly significant in Judaism. Having two loaves at a meal symbolizes the manna, or food, that fell from heaven when the Israelites wandered through the desert. A piece of dough set aside before baking represents a tithe, or religious contribution, and salting the challah is an important part of blessing the meal, as salt symbolizes an eternal bond with God.

Example Sentences

After a little kitchen reset, they’d open the door to spaghetti night, or roast chicken with challah, or a big pot of stew—same night, every week.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026

Choose instead a stale or dried out brioche, French bread or baguette, sourdough, or even stale Texas toast or challah.

From Salon • Dec. 12, 2023

“With this challah, I want to bless my three sons who are in the army and all the soldiers,” said Ruthie Tick, who had convened the mothers so they could comfort one another.

From New York Times • Dec. 3, 2023

On the table were candles, wine and loaves of challah, the braided bread typically eaten during the Friday night meal.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2023

She finally returned to the house and checked the challah in the oven, pulling out a loaf and knocking on it.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack