Connecting Generations with Sabbath Traditions
by Kristi Pagan
I find that food can connect us to each other. Whether connecting a family over the dinner table, connecting generations through passed down recipes, or connecting with a religious tradition held over thousands of years. Challah was and is a traditional loaf made to celebrate Sabbath. Old Jewish traditions that Jesus practiced begin sabbath with dinner on Friday night and it was often accompanied by a loaf of Challah. Even the prayers which are sung at the beginning of this meal mention the bread!
This loaf is a sweet braided bread you can find at almost any bakery today. The sweetness from the honey, richness from the many egg yolks, and beautifully shiny braids make this bread easy to love.
Making this bread for Sabbath helps me feel connected to the traditions that were done by my ancestors, and also helps me to create traditions for my own family, routines that make our home feel like home.
I traditionally do 2 loaves of 4 part braids. I make two loaves as that is what Jewish tradition dictates, reminding us of the double portion of manna (delicious honey flavored food from heaven – sound familiar?) that God provided his people on Friday when they were traveling through the desert without access to any other food. This double portion was so that they would not have to gather more manna on Saturday so that they could instead enjoy the Sabbath and rest. We are reminded of this provision as we sit down to two loaves of Challah at the Sabbath dinner table.
I hope you enjoy the process and the delicious results of this bread and that it can bring your family closer to each other as we welcome the Sabbath rest we were made for.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups flour (500 grams)
3 tsp yeast
3 tsp salt
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup honey
2 eggs (whole)
2 egg yolks
⅔ cup warm water (115°F)
1 egg yolk (for brushing)
1 tbsp water (for brushing)
INSTRUCTIONS
Measure out your flour into the stand mixer bowl
Add salt and yeast to the bowl on opposite ends, and mix them each in separately
Add olive oil, honey, eggs, and egg yolks to the bowl
Combine the ingredients in the bowl with the paddle attachment of the stand mixer
Change the stand mixer attachment to the dough hook
Slowly add water to the batter with the stand mixer on low speed until combined
Increase the speed on your stand mixer to medium and let the mixer knead your dough for 6 minutes
After 6 minutes, check the dough using the windowpane test (take a small chunk of dough and slowly stretch it between your fingers, if you can stretch it enough so that you can see light coming through the dough, then the gluten has developed enough, if the dough breaks before you can see light coming through the dough, then it needs to be kneaded further). The dough should be just a little sticky.
Once the dough is the right consistency, move the dough over to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place for 2 hours or until it's doubled in size
Prepare a floured surface, and turn out the dough
Punch the dough down to blow all the air pockets out that had formed during rising
Separate the dough into as many pieces as you want strands. I do two four-strand braids, so I will cut the dough into 8 pieces
Roll each piece out into a long rope. If your dough is resistant to rolling, begin to form the shape and then let it sit for 5 mins. Come back and work through the pieces rolling out each one a little longer each time, until they are at least 15 inches long
Braid your challah. To do a four-strand braid as I do, pinch all four strands together at one end, then separate two strands to each side. Take the outermost strand on the left and place it on the inner side of the two strands on the right. Then take the outermost strand on the right and place it on the inner side of the remaining strand on the left. You should now have two strands on both sides again, so you can repeat this process until you run out of strand length. At the end pinch the ends of the strands together as you did at the beginning.
Place your braided challah on a prepared baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper on top.
Place the baking sheet in a clean trash bag, gather the opening of the trash bag in your hand and blow into the bag, inflating it slightly. Tuck the opening of the bag under the baking sheet to secure it. Place the baking sheet in the bag in a warm place for the second rise for about 1 hour, or until it's doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 375°F
Once the braided challah has doubled in size, remove the baking sheet from the bag
Combine the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl, brush this onto the challah
Bake for 10 minutes at 375°F, then reduce the temperature to 325°F and bake for another 15 minutes. After baking the internal temperature of the bread should be 190°F and the bread should have a rich golden crust
Let cool and enjoy
