Making a less sweet challah?

My dad loves the texture of challah but he doesn't like the sweetness. I know that challah isn't the sweetest thing in the world, but he wants something more savory. I currently use the Smitten Kitchen recipe which calls for 50g (1/4 cup) sugar for a loaf (500g or 4 cups flour).

How far can I dial down the sugar without it significantly affecting the texture? Would using only 20g, a tad shy of 2 tbsp, be going too far?

Annie
  • Posted by: Annie
  • February 25, 2016
  • 4223 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

ChefJune
ChefJune February 26, 2016
I've forgotten the yeast in my challah and it came out just fine, and surprisingly sweet, even without the sugar!
 
byb
byb February 25, 2016
The always amazing Molly Yeh has quite a few challah recipes on her blog including:

- a ricotta stuffed whole wheat challah: http://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2015/9/ricotta-stuffed-whole-wheat-challah-and-everything-else-that-i-ate-over-labor-day-weekend
- a scallion pancake challah: http://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2014/1/scallion-pancake-challah

They both look awesome and definitely lean towards the savory.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx February 25, 2016
There are recipes for savory challah that don't use sugar or honey. Google can find some for consideration.
 
creamtea
creamtea February 25, 2016
Challah dough is pretty forgiving. I think you can dial it down to 2T. American-style challah tends to be very sweet and eggy; elsewhere in the world, it is a simple whitish loaf (what Americans call water challah). I have a recipe calling for 5 cups of flour to 3 tablespoons of sugar & 3 eggs for a single loaf. I think you can safely play with it.
 
foofaraw
foofaraw February 25, 2016
I agree with 2 T. At least there'll be still some sugar for the yeast.
 
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