Fall

Scallion Pancake Challah

by:
April 22, 2014
4.3
15 Ratings
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Makes 1 large loaf
Author Notes

A scallion pancake and a loaf of challah made a baby...

Dough is based on Ima's challah: http://food52.com/recipes...molly yeh

Test Kitchen Notes


WHO: Molly blogs from North Dakota, and from the beloved mynameisyeh.com.
WHAT: Challah meets scallion pancake. Beautiful things happen.
HOW: Make a scallion- and sesame-laced challah; try to wait until it comes out of the oven.
WHY WE LOVE IT: All we can say is that we’re sad challah and scallion pancakes didn’t make a baby sooner. This bread is savory, slightly sweet, and punchy all in the right places. Be warned: Yours will be gone in 5 minutes, flat. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Dough
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • Filling and topping
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 3 stalks scallions, minced
  • Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper, to taste
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
  • A few pinches of toasted sesame seeds and black sesame seeds
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, proof yeast in 1/2 cup warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of sugar. While yeast is proofing, mix flour, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup of water, honey, oil, and eggs. Once yeast has finished proofing, add it to the flour, followed by the wet ingredients. Mix with a large wooden spoon until dough becomes too thick to stir. Empty dough onto well-floured surface and knead by hand. Knead dough until smooth and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for about two hours, or until doubled in size.
  2. Heat oven to 375° F. Divide dough into three equal parts and then roll each part into a 1-foot log. Gently flatten each log so that it is about 3 inches wide. Brush each with toasted sesame oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and scallions. Roll them up length wise like a jellyroll, pinch the edges to seal, and then braid the logs. Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds and black pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the challah is cooked through.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Olga of Mango & Tomato
    Olga of Mango & Tomato
  • HelloThereNicole
    HelloThereNicole
  • Tracie
    Tracie
  • sbw57
    sbw57
  • Annie stader
    Annie stader
molly yeh recently moved from brooklyn to a farm outside of grand forks, north dakota, where her husband is a fifth generation farmer. she writes the blog my name is yeh.

32 Reviews

Jennifer S. August 18, 2024
I love this recipe, my go-to. Whomever said to use everything bagel seasoning was a freaking genius. I made a few light tweaks. I use at least 1, sometimes 2 whole bunches of green onions. Scallion me to death, I crave your allium smother. I also do a second rise after braiding for at least 30 min while the oven is preheating. So good, recipe works every time.
 
Sarreina May 21, 2021
Just made this recipe. I found the dough extremely sticky. I must have added at least a half cup or more of four. Also think more flavor needed, perhaps sesame oil in the egg wash. Also- I noticed someone asked the same question about the lack of a second rise, which is why my braids spread. I cooked this for 10 more minutes than the recipe states, and it is fluffy, but needs more flavor. Don’t know if I would make this again without a second rise, or understanding why the dough was so sticky- not tacky, but sticky.
 
sea27 August 7, 2021
I've made this twice now and both times I had the same experience. I must have added another 1/2 to 3/4 cup of flour and I still couldn't handle the dough. The second time around, the dough was still so sticky that I couldn't even shape it at the end. Does anyone have any ideas about what's going on with my bake? I am baking in a humid environment, but otherwise, is this user error? Thanks!
 
Fillyfoodie September 16, 2023
I agree that this was a very sticky dough. I think I ultimately added 3/4 cups of flour when all was said and done. I don’t understand how others worked with this dough without adding almost a full cup of flour to the mix.
 
RachelJ February 28, 2020
Most challah recipes have two (or even 3) rises. Why does this only have one? I am about to make it and wondering if I should let it rise a second time.
 
Bettina F. April 19, 2020
Why is this challah different from all other challahs?
 
Ling November 27, 2019
This is my go-to challah recipe that is so so easy to mix up by hand and the dough is easy to work with. Always a stunner when I share with friends :)
 
Darian July 19, 2019
I made this using chives instead of scallions, just because that's what I had. I LOVED how easy it was to make, and agree with other reviewers that the recipe could be an excellent base for other variations (cinnamon-sugar, or maybe Nutella??). The loaf came out looking perfectly shiny and browned and was cooked through without drying. The texture and appearance rivaled that of a bakery! We really enjoyed the riff on scallion pancakes which are a favorite at our house. I will definitely be making this again...and again...and again!
 
Olga O. March 5, 2018
Made it. LOVED it!!! http://www.mangotomato.com/2018/03/an-ode-to-molly-yehs-scallion-pancake.html I used Trader Joe's everything but the bagel spice mix. {Should have read the comments about upping the salt amount: next time!}
 
BandannerBread February 7, 2018
Great challah! The one thing I tweaked was the salt -- I upped it to 2.5 tsp of kosher salt, which ended up being just right for me (not salty at all, just nicely balanced). I was light-handed with the oil and scallions, but would apply more generously next time. Great flavour combination! I agree with other commenters -- it would be fun to try other flavours, using this challah dough as a base.
 
Nlimlamai January 6, 2018
I'm excited to make this challah! I'm unclear about the jelly rolling part -- where does the extra dough come from to wrap up over the scallion mixture?
 
HelloThereNicole August 14, 2017
Ok, I've made this twice regular, and just made it gluten free... so good! Regular it makes the best challah I've ever tasted, springy, sweet and savory, a pull apart texture. Gluten free it tastes a lot like soda bread, with a similar crumb. Next time I make it with gf flour I plan on forming it and then proofing it in order to take advantage of the pliability after kneading it. I used bob's red mill 1 to 1 flour to substitute.
 
KT January 5, 2018
What conversions did you do to make it gluten free?
 
rockymtnneighbor March 22, 2017
I didn't believe the comments until I made it: it truly was super easy! I usually adjust bake times down at 5k elevation but with this one it was undercooked at 20min so I'd recommend pushing for 25 min and keeping a close eye. I think the dough would make a great base for a cinnamon bread: I will try that next by swapping out the savory toppings for butter + cinnamon + sugar :) Thanks for a great recipe, Molly!
 
Tracie January 2, 2016
I made this tonight and it is unreal! So easy and ridiculously delicious. Can't wait to make it again for friends !! Mine needed a bit more time in the oven- the oil makes it slightly hard to tell if it's cooked all the way through- but it came out perfect . Keep the interesting and delicious challah recipes coming, Molly!!
 
sbw57 October 8, 2015
I made the dough in my bread machine and it came out fabulous!!
 
Annie S. March 6, 2015
I made this and it was so perfect. I love to make bread and I love new takes on baking it. I make traditional baguettes with masa ; but this trumps that hack. Thanks Molly...and the photos I took wowed my friends!
 
raquel October 31, 2014
follow up: made this recipe into one large and one very small challah, keeping the smaller one plain. couldnt be easier (no mixer!), and both came out great! really nice crusty outside with the gluten stretching well inside. flavor savory. my new go to challah recipe.
 
raquel October 23, 2014
How would this come out without the filling, just the dough recipe? Asking because would like to double the recipe to get two loaves, but keep one plain for pickier eaters.
 
Eve L. June 13, 2014
So this is the best challah I have ever made...and I ran a challah club for a while. It's so easy to make. We ordered in Chinese lemon chicken and it went perfectly together. Thanks Molly!
 
Megan B. May 10, 2014
Oh YEAH! Or should I say YEH! GO MOLLY!
 
drbabs May 8, 2014
Yum! Congratulations on being a finalist!
 
molly Y. May 9, 2014
thanks, barbara!!
 
gingerroot May 8, 2014
Congrats Molly! Your challah is a beauty.
 
molly Y. May 8, 2014
thanks, lady!!! you too!!!!!! your coconut rice looks amazing!!!
 
Midge May 8, 2014
YUM. Congrats!
 
molly Y. May 9, 2014
thanks, midge :)