AIL AbOuT...

FLOUR POWER

A Good Challah Recipe

Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor

To Make From Scratch

2 pkg. Yeast
1 /3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. Salt
8-9-1 /2 cups flour
2-1/2 cup warm water
5 eggs
6 Tbsp. sugar

THE HISTORY

Where To Read About It:
1 Numbers 15:17-21
How It Came To Be: In ancient times,
bread makers would set aside a bit
of dough, or challah, to give to the
priest at the Holy Temple.
Today, it's traditional to take off a
bit of dough, about the size of an
olive, from each loaf of bread (all
kinds of bread, not just challah) in
remembrance of this practice.

How It Was Made: In biblical
times, the main ingredients in bread
were wheat or barley. It was baked
on "hot stones" (see Kings 19:6 and
Isaiah 44: 1 9).

Did You Know?
1) Perhaps your family has a cus-
tom of topping challah with yummy
sesame seeds. In fact, this likely
started for a reason that has nothing
to do with taste and everything to
do with custom.
Tradition has it that the manna,
which Jews wandering in the Sinai
Desert received from God, was
white. On Shabbat, we eat two
whole loaves to remember the dou-
ble portions those Jews received for
the Sabbath. Most scholars believe
the manna was white. In an effort
to keep their challah closely resem-
bling the manna, some families top
their bread only with white sesame
•
!!. seeds.
2) Have you ever wondered why
challah sits atop a wooden board
and underneath a covering? Some
rabbis say it harkens back to the
dew which surrounded the manna
both from above and beneath. By
recalling the way in which the
manna was found, they say, we
again remind ourselves that all sus-
tenance comes from God.

Everything you need to know
about challah.

A Good Challah Recipe
Other rabbis say the challah is
For The Bread Machine
covered because it must sit as the
(created byJill Greenbaum of
wine or grape juice receives the
Southfield)
first blessing. On all other occasions
1 cup warm water
with meals that involve bread we
1 /3 cup vegetable oil
first wash then take a bite of the
2 eggs
bread. But on Shabbat, we start
1/2 cup sugar
with the Kiddish. So that the bread
1 tsp. salt
should not "see" this, and thus be
4-1/2 cups white flour
embarrassed, we cover it.
2-1 /4 tsp. yeast
Imagine, then, one rabbi mused —
if Judaism teaches us that we must be
Place ingredients, except yeast,
careful about the feelings of bread,
in order listed into bread
how much more so we need to be
machine.
sensitive to the feelings of others.
Make a small well in flour, then
3) Although you'll often see round
add yeast. Process on "dough" set-
challot at weddings and at Rosh
Hashanah, in fact the design of the ! ting.
When complete, shape dough into
bread may be left completely in
challot. Brush with mixture of 1 tsp.
your hands. Making challot into
water,
1 tsp. sugar and 1 egg yolk.
beautiful shapes and designs, espe-
Bake at 325 degrees for half and
cially with braids, is a tradition that
hour.
began in the Middle Ages.

Add yeast to water, and let mixture
rest for 10 minutes. Mix together oil,
4 eggs, salt and sugar; add to yeast
mixture. Beat in 5 cups flour (add 3
to 4-1 /2 cups more, depending on
egg size, weather, etc.).
Knead for 10 minutes. Put dough in
a big bowl and let rise for about 90
minutes. For two loaves, divide
dough in half. To make first loaf, sep-
arate four equal pieces. Using the
palm, roll three parts into ropes. The
length will determine the size of the
challah.
Braid these three ropes (it's a good
idea to start at the center) Make three
skinnier ropes of the fourth part. Braid
these and place atop the three fat
ropes. Do the same with the other
portion of dough.
Place dough on greased baking
sheets and let rise about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 55 min-
utes. Before placing in oven, brush
with a beaten egg. 0

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3/27
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