After pizza week we're shifting gears. This week we're baking challah, the braided bread that's been on celebration tables for thousands of years. It's the bread of Shabbat. The bread of welcome. The bread of homecoming.
I've got a personal reason for putting this one on the schedule, and I'll tell you the whole story this week. For now, here's the lay of the week.
๐ฅ ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต, ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ:
Three-strand braid: The most approachable shape, and the one most home bakers start with. If this is your first challah, this is your braid.
Six-strand braid: The classic Shabbat shape, more involved but absolutely doable. We'll walk through it Friday step by step.
Round: The shape used for Rosh Hashanah and celebration. Symbolizes the cycle of the year and the unbroken thread of family. Beautiful at any table.
๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
Top with sesame, poppy, or everything seeds. Add raisins to the dough if that's your tradition. The only line we hold is no butter or dairy in the dough itself. Challah is meant to be shared at any table, and that's the rule that protects it.
๐ ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ'๐น๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ:
The dough, what makes it different from any other enriched bread. The Herr Sherman story, and why this bread shaped how I teach. Braid breakdowns, three-strand and six-strand, with the round as an alternative. Egg wash, seeds, and getting that deep mahogany shine. The tradition behind the bread, taught with respect, not religion.
This is one dough, one teaching, and a room full of different shapes coming out of different ovens on Saturday. Pull out your eggs, your flour, your honey, and bake with us.
Perfection is not required. Progress is.
Henry โญ๐ฅ
One-sheets (printable):