Soft and Buttery Challah Dinner Rolls or Braided Loaf Recipe

There is truly nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked enriched bread filling the kitchen. While traditional challah is often made with oil to remain pareve, using melted butter gives these rolls a rich, brioche-like tenderness with an irresistible golden, shiny crust.

Whether you let your bread machine do all the heavy lifting or enjoy the tactile ritual of kneading by hand or stand mixer, this foolproof recipe yields 16 pillowy dinner rolls or one showstopping 3-strand braided loaf.

Soft, buttery challah rolls with a shiny egg-washed crust.

Recipe snapshot

Metric	Details
Prep Time	20 minutes
Rise Time	2 to 2.5 hours total
Bake Time	20 to 25 minutes
Yield	16 dinner rolls OR 1 large braided loaf
Oven Temp	350°F (175°C)

This dough is soft, rich, and lightly sweet from the enriched texture of eggs and butter. Bread flour gives it enough strength to rise beautifully while still baking up tender. The rolls are perfect for holiday meals, Shabbat-style dinners where dairy is welcome, Sunday supper, sandwiches, or serving warm with extra butter.

Ingredients

Dough

• Water: 1 cup, lukewarm, about 105°F to 110°F if mixing by hand or mixer

• Unsalted butter: ⅓ cup, melted and cooled slightly

• Eggs: 2 large whole eggs + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature preferred

• Salt: 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt

• Bread flour: 4 cups, spooned and leveled

• Yeast: 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast or instant yeast

  
  

Egg wash and toppings

• Egg wash: 1 whole egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

• Optional: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or flaky sea salt for sprinkling

  
  

Simple enriched dough ingredients make these rolls soft and flavorful.

Method 1

The bread maker method

This is the most hands-off way to make the dough. The bread machine mixes, kneads, and handles the first rise, then you shape and bake.

Load the pan

Add ingredients to your bread maker pan in the order recommended by your manufacturer.

Typically, this means liquids first:

• Water

• Melted butter

• Eggs and yolk

  
  

Then add:

• Salt

• Bread flour

  
  

Create a small well on top of the flour and add the yeast.

Run the dough cycle

Select the machine’s Dough setting, which mixes, kneads, and completes the first rise. Press start.

Check consistency

Peek in after 5 to 7 minutes of mixing. The dough should form a smooth, supple ball that is slightly tacky to the touch but clears the sides of the pan.

If it looks very sticky and wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it looks dry or stiff, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. Give the machine a minute between each addition so the dough can absorb it.

The dough should look smooth, supple, and just a little tacky.

Method 2

Stand mixer or by hand

If you enjoy the feel of dough coming together, this method gives you more control. It also helps you learn the texture you want before the first rise.

Combine ingredients

In a stand mixer, whisk together the lukewarm water, melted butter, whole eggs, and egg yolk in the mixer bowl.

Add the salt, bread flour, and yeast. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.

If mixing by hand, whisk the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the salt, bread flour, and yeast with a sturdy spoon until the dough becomes too thick to stir.

Knead the dough

For a stand mixer, knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 6 to 8 minutes. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.

By hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 to 10 minutes. Use only enough flour to keep it from sticking badly. Too much extra flour can make the rolls dense.

Let the dough rise

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until puffy and roughly doubled.

Shape the rolls or braided loaf

For 16 dinner rolls, turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath and rolling gently against the counter.

Place the rolls in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish or on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between them.

For 1 large braided loaf, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. Pinch the ropes together at one end, braid them, then pinch and tuck the ends under. Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover and let rise again for 45 to 60 minutes, until noticeably puffy.

Bake until golden and shiny

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Brush the rolls or loaf gently with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or flaky sea salt if using.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden and baked through. Rolls may finish closer to 20 minutes, while a large braided loaf may need the full time. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. The butter in the dough keeps the crumb soft, while the egg wash creates that classic glossy finish.

Egg wash helps the loaf bake up glossy, golden, and beautiful.

Baker’s notes

This dough should feel soft and plush, not stiff. The slight tackiness is a good sign. If you add too much flour while kneading, the rolls can lose some of their pillowy texture.

Because this version uses butter, it is dairy and not pareve. For a more traditional pareve-style challah, oil is usually used instead.

These rolls taste best the day they are baked, but they also reheat well. Warm them in a low oven until soft, or split and toast them the next day. Leftover rolls make excellent breakfast sandwiches, sliders, or soft dinner rolls for soups and stews.

Soft, buttery challah is the kind of bread that makes a meal feel special without being fussy. Shape it into tidy dinner rolls for sharing, or braid it into one golden loaf for the center of the table. Either way, the reward is the same: tender, rich bread with a beautiful shine and a kitchen that smells incredible.