8-Stranded Round Braided Challah

For a beautiful woven challah.

If you have ever made a 4-stranded round challah braid, an 8-stranded one is essentially the same process using coupled strands. Don't be intimidated by the shape- it's a lot easier than it may seem! It is a bit difficult to explain the braiding process in words, so I suggest looking at the pictures below to visually see how to create the braid.

To learn how to make the Garlic Za'atar Challah pictured above, click here!

How to Braid an 8-Stranded Round Challah

1. Divide your dough into 8 equal pieces.

2. Roll out each piece to form a long, narrow snake.

3. Create couples of strands until you have 4, double-stranded "snakes" of dough.

4. Place two of the double-strands next to each other and lay the other two, next to each other as well, on top to create a "+" shape.

5. Focusing on the lengthwise strands (below), place one of the double-stands over and the other under the widthwise stands (above) to achieve a central lattice.

6. Next, focusing on the sides of the dough, place the right double-strand over the left one at each corner. Continue overlapping the strands, now focusing on the corners, until you can no longer do so (about 1-2 times more).

7. Pinch the edges of the dough together and tuck below the dough to form a round loaf.