Challah bread is a traditional bread option that is especially famous among Jewish people. Jewish people use it for some of their important events, and they definitely enjoy its eggy and sweet taste.
Challah bread has also become famous everywhere else. Its rich flavor makes it ideal for different types of dishes, and it is also pretty easy to work with. Despite this, there are times when you need to try something else for a change.
What is the best substitute for Challah bread? Brioche is the best substitute for Challah bread, thanks to its similarity in content. It tastes quite similar to Challah bread, and it is also versatile in application. With brioche, you know you can never go wrong.
An Overview of Challah Bread
Challah bread is truly an interesting bread variant. It is as fun and pleasurable to cook as it is to eat. With a rich taste and versatile application, there is no doubt that Challah bread is a great fit for any recipe.
As explained earlier, Challah bread is a regular in Jewish recipes. Many Jewish people use it to commemorate some of their most special events. However, it also works for several other dishes and recipes. Challah bread is made of yeast, water, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. All of these ingredients provide that glistening glow that you see on its body and the rich taste that many people love so much.
Beyond its awesome taste, Challah bread also provides several health benefits. These include an improvement in cardiovascular health, thanks to its content of olive oil. It protects from kidney damage and hypertension, thanks to its content of sea salt. Its riboflavin content is also a great protector against anemia.
With several health benefits and a great taste, it’s no wonder that Challah bread has become so popular.
Why Replace Challah Bread?
- Allergies: Challah bread contains eggs, flour and yeast. If you’re allergic to these things, then you need to find something else that works in your recipes.
- Taste differences: You might want to get something that tastes different from Challah bread and see how that works for you.
Options for Challah Bread Substitutes
Best Overall Substitute for Challah Bread: Brioche
When it comes to substituting for Challah bread, nothing comes close to brioche. The two contain a lot of the same ingredients, especially eggs. Their egg content is the same, and that is responsible for a great deal of taste similarity out of the gate.
At the same time, there are some differences as well. The most notable is the fact that brioche has butter in it – unlike Challah bread. Thanks to its butter content, brioche provides a light and fluffy texture with a rich taste.
In general, brioche provides a lovely mix of savory and sweet flavors. It is also gluten-free, so it is an ideal choice for people watching their weight and who are particular about their food content.
If you’ve never seen brioche, you can think of it as a richer version of sandwich bread – with an egg and butter content. It provides a strong, plush crumb that allows it to hold its shape – especially when it soaks up mustard and is made into a finished dish.
You can serve brioche with anything you like. It’s great if you just want the taste of plain bread, and it also works well with additional ingredients like jam and chocolate spread. At the same time, brioche works well as a hamburger bun or as a roll.
Most experts will recommend that you buy brioche by the loaf, so you can cut the slices into whatever sizes you want.
Best Versatile Substitute: French Bread
Not to confuse you, French bread is actually the common Baguettes you see around. It is cut on a diagonal with a firm crust that allows it to maintain its shape despite the amount of liquid that it soaks up.
Unlike Challah bread, however, French bread provides a bit of a chewy bite. So, it is much more ideal for toast and bread pudding. If you want to make it softer, all you have to do is put it in a mixture of milk and egg for much longer and let it soak. That way, it will soak the mixture and its texture will get softer.
With its sweet taste and unique shape, French bread has much more uses in the kitchen than just the usual toast. You can use it to make pizza crust, French onion soup, or garlic bread. So, its diverse application is definitely another reason why it works so well as a Challah bread substitute.
Best Substitute for Pasta: Italian Bread
The Italians are some of the best cooks in the world. So, you know their bread will be something of a delight. With different recipes, the Italians have diverse ways of approaching cooking. Their bread is definitely no different.
Italian bread comes with a circular shape and a constituent of different ingredients – including flour, water, salt, milk, sugar, olive oil, and yeast. It is a savory bread that is usually made with stone oven baking.
With Italian bread, you also get a thin crumb and a moist texture. The center is fluffy and soft, so you can eat the bread simply and enjoy it.
However, where you really enjoy Italian bread is with pasta- another food that Italians have become known for. Add some sauce to it, and you’ve got yourself a splendid meal. So, instead of Challah bread, you’ve got yourself something better.