Challah bread is most abundant during holidays, and you can also use it to celebrate the sabbath. It consists of eggs, flour, water, yeast, salt, oil, and water, and after it has been baked, poppy seeds are then sprinkled on top.
Nowadays, there are a lot of variations of challah bread made with ingredients like honey, olive oil, molasses, saffron, and even raisins. You can most likely find challah bread in most bakery, but if you can’t find it for any reason, you can settle for other substitutes for challah bread.
Some suitable breads you can use to replace challah bread include Hawaiian bread, French baguette, brioche, Portuguese sweet bread, Italian bread, etc.
What is Challah Bread?
Challah bread was said to have been mentioned first in the 15th century in Austria and became a popular bread for ritual for the Jewish people in Austria, Poland, Russia, and even the eastern part of Europe.
This bread is quite amazing as the number of strands of the bread indicates a lot of things like love, peace, truth, and justice.
Before it was called challah bread, it was formerly referred to as the beaches bread, but it is still referred to as beaches in some parts of jew. Housewives on Sundays prepared this bread, but now, you can consume it on many occasions.
Even if this bread is abundant among the Jewish people and a few others, it is not very available worldwide, which is why you may need other options.
What Is Challah Bread Used For?
Challah bread is a ceremonial bread used in most Jewish celebrations like the sabbath. There are some variations of the challah bread like the Schlissel challah, turban challah, challah rolls, and vegan challah, and you can eat them, respectively, depending on the event.
Challah bread is suitable for French toasts, casseroles, and even puddings. You can eat this bread as a standalone or as a side dish. The amazing thing about this bread option is that the dough used to prepare it is the same one used to prepare pizza.
Substitutes for Challah Bread
Below are some of the best substitutes for challah bread that you may want to check out:
1. Brioche

Brioche is a bread that is native to the French people. It has a light and tender texture and a slightly sweet flavor. Like regular bread, the brioche bread is made with water, milk, yeast, eggs, flour, and butter, but this break contains cream, which is not a regular ingredient.
Brioche loaves of bread can work well in puddings, hamburgers, and french toast, and you can serve them with both sweet and savory fillings; it is also one of the best substitutes for challah loaves of bread.
2. French Baguettes

French baguettes are crispy and long French bread with a smooth texture. It is made with salt, flour, yeast, butter, and water.
You can use it in hamburgers also, and you can also eat margarine, jam, butter, sandwiches, and it with cookies, crackers, and even biscuits.
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3. Hawaiian Bread

Hawaiian bread is a sweet and soft bread with a subtle texture. Although it is sweeter than the challah bread and has a pineapple-flavored taste, it can also substitute for challah bread.
The ingredients used in making Hawaiian bread include milk, eggs, yeast, honey, shortening, butter, and milk.
It would be best to prepare your Hawaiian bread in a square pan as it is mostly square, and you wouldn’t want it to look different from what it originally was.
4. Portuguese Sweet Bread

Portuguese sweet bread is made with flour, milk, yeast, sugar, eggs, and the major ingredient, lemon peel.
This bread is traditionally prepared for Christmas and easter, and aside from those times, it can be eaten as regular everyday food. It can be served with various side dishes, but one of the favorites is butter, rice, pudding, and even sandwiches.
5. Vegan Challah Bread

The major difference between the vegan challah and the regular challan is that the vegan ones do not contain eggs, which doesn’t make them less tasty than the original challah bread.
Vegan challah can also be referred to as water challah, and it can be homemade with just a few ingredients like flour, salt, oil, yeast, poppy, sesame seeds, and even maple syrup to enhance the sweetness.
This bread can be consumed with butter, jam, and toast and can also be dipped in soup; you shouldn’t bother if you do not have any side dishes to eat alongside. you can also consume it on its own!
6. Whole Wheat Challah
Unlike the normal challah bread, this one does not contain white flour, but apart from that, the ingredients are the same as the normal bread. Instead of the white flour, this bread contains the same amount of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.
Other ingredients you can find in the whole wheat challah are oil, water, sugar, eggs, dry yeast, salt, and, vitally, wheat gluten to improve the elasticity and rice of your bread. You can eat this substitute with jam, butter, honey, and sandwiches.
Read Also: 8 Best Buckwheat Flour Substitutes
7. French Bread

When looking this bread, it can easily be confused with the baguette bread, but they are entirely two different breeds. The French bread is longer, wider, and has rounded edges. It consists of flour, sugar, olive oil, milk, and olive oil.
Due to its crispy crusts are perfect for crostini, croutons, and bruschetta. They pair well with various foods like soups, stews, cheese, and even salads.
8. Pullman Loaf

Pullman loaf is also known as the sandwich loaf, except it has softer and thinner crusts. Please bake this Pullman bread in a Pullman pan to attain a square shape and be light and soft.
Due to its sweet taste, it works well for croutons, canapes, toasting, and sandwiches, and it also works well as bread crusts.
9. Italian Bread

Italian bread consists of salt, flour, milk, water, eggs, yeast, olive oil, and butter and can be consumed with any dish of your choice like the compote, honey, or jam and can also be used as a topping for pizza. It has a soft texture and thin, crispy crusts.
10. Kalach Bread

Kalach bread, also known as the Colac bread, is a European-styled bread famous for its round shape that resembles a wheel.
It is made with flour, honey, eggs, oil, and kalach and has a sweet and soft texture. It can be consumed as an accompaniment or eaten as a standalone dish.
Some other amazing substitutes you can most likely get in your city includes;
- Slovak vanocka bread
- Tsoureki bread
- Zopf bread
- Pulla bread
- Mouna bread
- Kubaneh bread
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Related Questions
What Is the Difference Between Challah Bread and Brioche Bread?
These two slices of bread are similar except that the challah bread is not made with butter, unlike the brioche bread. The major reason behind this is because the challah bread is made for special events and dairy products are inclusive.
Is Hawaiian bread similar to brioche?
Hawaiian bread is similar to challah and brioche bread, except it is enriched with eggs and butter. Unlike those two, it is enriched with sugar and contains fewer fats.
What Is a Good Substitute for Brioche Bread?
Some amazing substitute for brioche bread is the challah bread, Pullman loaf, shokunin, Portuguese sweet bread, panettone, and pan bao loaves of bread. With proper research, you can get amazing substitutes for it.
Is Milk Bread Similar to Brioche?
The brioche and the milk bread are quite similar, except that the milk bread has a light sweetness while the brioche bread is very sweet. The brioche is a type of bread that is creamy on the inside and uses more eggs than dough. They are both very delicious nonetheless.
Why Do They Call It Milk Bread?
It is referred to as milk bread because instead of water, milk is normally mixed into the yeast and flour.