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Challah with Ruthie



Challah is a braided bread enriched with eggs and sugar that many Jewish families eat on Friday nights to celebrate Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath). Ruthie converted to Judaism and did not grow up eating challah, but she learned to make it when she met her partner, Barak, and they started hosting Shabbat meals. Ruthie says that “it’s always a little bit of a mystery” how the challah will turn out because baking involves so much science. Depending on the temperature, humidity, and altitude, the recipe and results can change from week to week.

Almost all of Ruthie’s relatives on Barak’s side of the family make challah, and everyone does it a little bit differently. She explains that each time they dig into a challah together, “there's almost a review of the challah like, ‘oh it's like kind of salty this week,’ or ‘the raisins are really nice.’” In this way, the weekly ritual of making challah connects her to the family she has married into. It also connects her to Judaism. She explains that there are various commandments in Judaism, including resting on Shabbat and imbuing the Shabbat meal with beauty. Because challah needs to rise and can take a few hours to make, making it in time for a Friday evening meal requires planning, and prioritizing the challah and the rituals that come with it. Ruthie sometimes starts the process on Thursday and puts the dough in the refrigerator so that it can rise slowly while she is at work. Other times she changes the shape of the challah or adds extras like raisins or edible flowers to mark holidays and seasonal transitions.

Though Ruthie’s parents and siblings do not make challah, other dishes, such as shortbread and casseroles, connect her to them. “I would say dinner is usually kind of a community endeavor,” she explains. “Like one person might have an idea but generally…lots of people are helping to make the dinner and usually when there's lots of people involved it also means that there's lots of ideas. So dinner ends up happening super late because somebody's like, ‘oh I just wanna make this sauce.’” Cooking dinner with her community, whether she is making challah or something else, is also a way to be together, collaborate, and care for each other.

Challah Recipe

Servings: Makes one small to medium challah serving 4-8 people
Time: 2.5 to 3 hours


Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp yeast
  • 1 tsp plus ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅛ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 2-3 cups of flour


Instructions:

  • First wake up the yeast:
    • Combine yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and a bit of warm water (105-115 degrees) in a cup or small bowl and stir. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
  • While you wait for the yeast, combine the other ingredients, except the flour.
  • In a separate, larger bowl, add one egg, ½ cup water, sugar, oil, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  • Once the yeast mixture is ready, beat it into the other ingredients, then add the flour a little at a time until the dough becomes workable. The exact amount of flour you need will vary based on humidity and temperature.
  • Knead the dough on a floured surface until it passes the “window pane test”. You should be able to spread the dough between your fingers until it is transparent like a window pane without it breaking.
  • Wash out and oil your bowl, the place the dough back inside and cover to let rise. You can let it rise in the refrigerator overnight or for 8-10 hours, or on the counter until it has doubled in size (about 60-90 minutes in Colorado. This takes longer at a lower altitude).
  • Once the dough has risen you are ready to braid it! Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Divide the dough into 3, 4, 5, or 6 equal pieces depending on which type of braid you want to make.
  • Roll out each piece of dough into a long strand, then braid the strands on an oiled baking sheet.
  • Beat the other egg, and use a brush or spoon to coat the braided dough with egg wash.
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes or until you can smell the challah and the crust is a deep brown. You should be able to knock on the bottom and hear a hollow sound.