Last week I participated in something wonderful – a group Challah bake. I admit, I kept giving myself excuses of why I shouldn’t go, why I was too busy or too tired, or even not interested enough, to be out, on a Thursday night. It was another very busy week at work, my kids had activities, homework and tests, my dog was needy (you know those sad eyes they give when they want attention?), and somehow I had been out every night of the week. But, something nagged at me to go. And I’m so glad I went.
Many of you reading this are thinking….. what is a Challah bake, and why do you need a group of people to bake anything? Let me explain.
All three of my children have attended (the youngest one still does attend!), the same, small, community-focused downtown Jewish Day School. As an alumni parent, I was invited to connect with other parents, to catch up, to schmooze, and yes to bake together. That’s the background of the “group” part – coming together, to spend quality time with old and new friends.
So, what is challah? If you have never had the privilege of tasting it – well, quite simply, it’s bread. But it’s not just any bread – some call it egg bread, some call it sweet egg bread. It has a few unique ingredients (like eggs and sugar), and it is a traditional Jewish yeast-based baked item made for the Sabbath or Holidays. For me, fresh, warm, beautiful challah is one of the tastiest treats.
I have been a challah baker, on my own, for many years. My mother and my sister also bake challah. It is part of my ritual on Friday afternoons, to get my dough going, then a first rise, then shape it, then rise again, then bake it. I get pings on office chats every Friday, as my colleagues ask me if my challah is out of the oven yet, or can they see a photo, or will I ever bring in samples to the office!
You may wonder then, what is the point of a group challah bake? It takes hours, from start to finish, to make challah. There are many steps, and many places, where things can go terribly wrong if you don’t know what you are doing. But as I experienced last week, being in a room with other women, preparing our dough, just like our ancestors have done for generations, was extraordinary.
We were led by a knowledgeable and oh so patient bread-baking expert, Rebecca Rogers. Our group of about 18 people was a mix of semi experts to novices to newbies. Rebecca explained the history of challah-making, the nuances of preparing dough, and when someone was a bit anxious or nervous about adding the right ingredient or kneading their dough enough, she smiled and told us to just remember and say, “it’s perfect, because I made it.”
Do we put it all that sugar to make it sweet, or just a bit? Should I leave out a bit of flour, in case my dough is sticky? Maybe I should crack my egg in another bowl, to make sure there’s no shells in the dough. How long do I knead my dough (answer: a long time, just keep going, and put your whole body into it!). And that was just the first part.
As we added our ingredients and had a full body workout kneading our dough, we laughed and we chatted. We reminisced and planned for our children’s futures. I have been part of this school community for a dozen years, and I have known some of these women even longer. Our children grew up together and many of them are still friends. We didn’t just bake challah – we had a special evening, just for us – away from the demands of life.
We were reminded over and over that there was no right or wrong – that each of our challahs would be perfect – because we made them.
I’m not one to toot my own horn too often. Okay, there are a few things where I’d say, sure, I’m a bit of an expert. I’d put myself in the “semi-expert” category of challah baking. I know the ratios of the ingredients and how to knead dough, to get it to the right texture. I know how long my dough needs to rise and to bake, to make it tasty and luscious. But I learned a few new tips and tricks at the group challah bake that I have already put into action. Here’s a few:
- Dough gets anxious, just like people. It rises and bakes best when it’s relaxed. If the dough seems difficult, leave it alone for 10 minutes, and it will relax for you.
- The air can dry out your dough really fast. A cotton cloth is okay, but the best way to protect your dough while it rises is to cut a heavier duty large Ziploc bag in half and drape it over the dough. That locks the air out.
- There are so many ways to shape challah dough! You can make it round, twist two strands, braid three, four, or gasp, even six strands! Yes, challah can be a work of art!
- You can take your challah’s temperature when it’s in the oven! Stick that thermometer in and get that bread to a nice 88 degrees Celsius if you want to ensure it is baked inside.
I brought my dough home, tightly sealed in plastic wrap, put it in a large bowl and threw it in the fridge for the night. I removed the dough on Friday afternoon, cut it in half, super sealed half of it (put that half in the freezer) and in front of me I had a beautiful piece of dough, ready to have fun with and shape.
I went for the new technique I learned – four stranded braid. I tried, I looked at videos, and I couldn’t figure it out. So, I did my own version of four braids, placed it in the oven. It rose, it browned and it was beautiful.
It was perfect, because I made it.
For me, baking bread is calming and peaceful. I’d even say it’s empowering. I feel good when I’m kneading my dough, or shaping it and wow, the glorious smell in my house when I remove the challah from the oven. Wow! And oh, that first bite into fresh challah. That is something special.
If you are reading this and are craving challah now, I think that’s a good thing. I’m happy to share my recipes or teach you how to make the perfect challah. I promise you, your challah will be perfect. Why? Because you will make it!
