Challah vs. Brioche — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 18, 2024
Challah is a traditional Jewish braided bread made with eggs, flour, water, sugar, yeast, and salt, often eaten on Sabbaths and holidays. Brioche is a French bread enriched with eggs and butter, giving it a rich, tender crumb and slightly sweet flavor.
Difference Between Challah and Brioche
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Challah is a type of bread that holds significant cultural and religious importance in Jewish traditions. It is typically braided and has a slightly sweet taste due to the addition of sugar or honey. Brioche, on the other hand, is a French bread known for its rich, buttery flavor and tender crumb. The dough is enriched with a significant amount of butter and eggs, making it richer and more delicate than challah.
While both breads are enriched with eggs and have a slightly sweet flavor, challah is typically less rich and buttery than brioche. Challah is also more closely associated with religious traditions, whereas brioche is a staple in French patisserie and cuisine.
Comparison Chart
Origin
Jewish tradition
French cuisine
Ingredients
Flour, water, eggs, yeast, sugar/honey, salt, sometimes oil
Flour, eggs, butter, yeast, sugar, salt
Texture
Slightly sweet, soft, and slightly chewy
Rich, tender, and buttery
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Common Uses
Sabbaths, Jewish holidays
Breakfast pastries, hamburger buns, desserts
Shape
Typically braided or round
Often loaf-shaped or used for buns
Compare with Definitions
Challah
Sometimes topped with sesame or poppy seeds.
The challah was sprinkled with poppy seeds before baking.
Brioche
Made with flour, eggs, butter, yeast, sugar, and salt.
The brioche dough required extensive kneading to incorporate the butter.
Challah
A traditional Jewish bread, typically braided and slightly sweet.
We always have challah on the table for Shabbat dinner.
Brioche
A French bread enriched with eggs and butter, known for its rich flavor and tender texture.
The brioche was light and fluffy, perfect for a decadent French toast.
Challah
Can be round or braided in various styles.
For Rosh Hashanah, we make round challah to symbolize the cycle of the year.
Brioche
Popular in French patisserie.
The patisserie offered an array of brioche pastries filled with fruit and cream.
Challah
Made with flour, water, eggs, yeast, sugar or honey, and salt.
The challah dough rose beautifully after being kneaded with care.
Brioche
Used in both sweet and savory dishes.
The bakery sells brioche buns perfect for gourmet burgers.
Challah
Often associated with religious and cultural rituals.
The challah was blessed and shared during the holiday meal.
Brioche
Often shaped into loaves or buns.
She baked a beautiful brioche loaf for the weekend brunch.
Challah
Challah (, Hebrew: חַלָּה ḥallā [χa'la] or [ħal'lɑ]; plural: challot, Challoth or challos) is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays (other than Passover). Ritually acceptable challah is made of dough from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering.
Brioche
Brioche (, also UK: , US: , French: [bʁijɔʃ]) is a bread of French origin whose high egg and butter content gives it a rich and tender crumb. Chef Joël Robuchon described it as "light and slightly puffy, more or less fine, according to the proportion of butter and eggs." It has a dark, golden, and flaky crust, frequently accentuated by an egg wash applied after proofing.
Challah
A loaf of yeast-leavened egg bread, usually braided, traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath, holidays, and other ceremonial occasions.
Brioche
A soft, light-textured bread made from eggs, butter, flour, and yeast and formed into a roll or a bun.
Challah
(countable) A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
Brioche
A type of light sweet pastry or bun of French origin.
Challah
(uncountable) The commandment to separate a portion of bread or bread dough for the cohanim (Numbers 15:17–21); in contemporary practice, the portion is burned until inedible.
Brioche
A knitted cushion for the feet.
Challah
(countable) The portion separated in fulfillment of the above.
Brioche
A light sweet pastry (cake, bun or roll) made with flour, butter, yeast, and eggs.
Challah
(Judaism) a loaf of white bread containing eggs and leavened with yeast; often formed into braided loaves and glazed with eggs before baking
Brioche
A knitted foot cushion.
Brioche
A light roll rich with eggs and butter and somewhat sweet
Common Curiosities
What is challah?
Challah is a traditional Jewish braided bread made with eggs, flour, water, sugar, yeast, and salt.
How is brioche used?
Brioche is versatile and used for breakfast pastries, hamburger buns, or desserts, often found in French cuisine.
What is brioche?
Brioche is a French bread enriched with eggs and butter, known for its rich, tender crumb and slightly sweet flavor.
What are the key ingredients in challah?
The key ingredients in challah are flour, water, eggs, yeast, sugar or honey, and salt, sometimes with added oil.
How is challah used?
Challah is commonly eaten on Sabbaths and Jewish holidays, often braided and served as part of religious and cultural rituals.
How does the texture of challah compare to brioche?
Challah has a slightly sweet, soft, and slightly chewy texture, while brioche is rich, tender, and buttery.
Is challah always braided?
Challah is often braided, but it can also be round, especially for certain holidays like Rosh Hashanah.
What cultural significance does challah have?
Challah holds significant cultural and religious importance in Jewish traditions, often used during Sabbaths and holidays.
Is brioche always loaf-shaped?
Brioche can be shaped into loaves, buns, or various pastry forms.
What are the key ingredients in brioche?
The key ingredients in brioche are flour, eggs, butter, yeast, sugar, and salt.
Can brioche be used for sandwiches?
Yes, brioche can be used for sandwiches, especially gourmet burgers and sweet or savory fillings.
What makes brioche tender?
The high butter and egg content in brioche dough makes it tender and rich.
Can challah be used for French toast?
Yes, challah can be used for French toast, providing a slightly sweet and soft base.
Is challah richer than brioche?
No, brioche is richer due to the higher butter content compared to challah.
Where is brioche typically found?
Brioche is typically found in French patisseries and bakeries, as well as in various sweet and savory dishes.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
