Loredana’s Challah Bread

This great challah bread is my sister-in-law’s recipe. Loredana keeps alive the Roman Jewish tradition of baking a simple unsweetened loaf for Shabbat, rather than the more widely known brioche-type braided challah. She often brings it to my parents’ house for Friday night dinner and I enjoy baking it in London from time to time. The crust is crispy and the inner crumb soft and white. The barley malt extract gives the bread a subtle kick.

If you can plan ahead, let the challah dough