Mhhh, how it smells. There is no better scent in the house than the smell of home-baked bread. It gives me, Alexandra, the feeling of warmth and security. The feeling of being at home. Today I would like to introduce you to Jewish Shabbat bread. It is baked on Friday morning (just before Shabbat) and then eaten on Shabbat evening for the festive meal. Usually two such challot are baked (one with sesame seeds and one with poppy seeds). The double portion is a reminder of the manna that the Israelites ate during their 40-year wandering in the desert (see Exodus 16:21-23). At the Shabbat meal, after the blessing over the wine, the blessing is said over the bread. The challah bread is then broken and each person sitting at the table is given a piece of bread sprinkled with a little salt. This is how the meal begins.

And now to the most important part, the recipe:

Challah bread
– 540 g. Flour
– 2 tbsp. sugar
– 1 tsp. salt
– 1 ½ tsp. dry yeast
– 2 tbsp. butter (soft) / or oil
– 3 eggs (large)
– 170 ml. Water
– 2 egg whites (for beating)

Challa plait recipe

Ingredients:

• Dry ingredients: Flour, sugar, salt, yeast
• Liquid ingredients: Butter or oil, eggs, water

Instructions:

1. Preparation of the ingredients:
   • Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast evenly in a large bowl.
   • In a second bowl, carefully whisk together the butter (or oil), eggs and water.
2. Combine:
   • Gently add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and integrate well.
3. Stir:
   • Mix everything thoroughly with a mixing spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.
4. Kneading:
   • Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and supple.
5. First walking phase:
   • Cover the dough and leave to rest in the bowl for an hour so that it rises.
6. Second kneading:
   • Knead the dough again to press out any trapped air and leave to rest for another hour.
7. Shaping the plait:
   • Divide the dough into strands and braid into a plait. There are many ways to form a challa braid, but I prefer the “4-strand braid”. (Note: The attached photo shows a three-strand plait). The strands should ideally be between 20-25 cm long.
8. Second walking phase:
   • Cover the plaited braid and leave to rest for another hour.
9. Baking preparation:
   • Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
10. Decorate:

• Brush the plait with egg white and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds as desired.

11. Baking:

• Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. To prevent the top from getting too dark, the bread can be covered with aluminum foil during the last few minutes of baking time.

12. Serve:

• Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

I don’t bake it every week, but when I do, the whole family looks forward to it. And we don’t wait for it to cool down. We like it best warm with jam. 😉

Enjoy your meal and Shabbat Shalom.