# Challah 101 Class (PIX)



## Rebbetzin (Mar 9, 2012)

Yesterday my Bat Mitzvah student made her first Challah! I was so impressed with how well this 11 soon to be 12 year old was able to read the directions on braiding the six stranded Challah and do it just perfect her first try! Many adults stuggle with a six stranded braid.  I am so very proud of her!


TA DA!!! Here is her first Challah! 
I think it is quite wonderful!








Here is the Challah 101 Certificate.








Her Bat Mitzvah is this Saturday. Last night was the last class for her. Here is a photo of her dad, taking a video, and my husband giving her advice on her reading.






(Jeannine and her family always sit way in the back of the room.)


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## jodief100 (Mar 9, 2012)

How exciting!  That is wonderful what you do for these young people to help them become responsible adults.  It looks wonderful, better than some I have seen at the bakery.


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## Queen Mum (Mar 9, 2012)

Mazal Tov!   My Challah never looks that good.  It usually looks like it tastes.  (a sweet lump)   Maybe you should teach me.  It makes me hungry just looking at it.  I hope her Bat Mitzvah goes equally  well.


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## Rebbetzin (Mar 9, 2012)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Mazal Tov!   My Challah never looks that good.  It usually looks like it tastes.  (a sweet lump)   Maybe you should teach me.  It makes me hungry just looking at it.  I hope her Bat Mitzvah goes equally  well.


I improvised on an old Chabad recipe.  Every week is a science experiment when making bread!


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## redtailgal (Mar 9, 2012)

Its is beautiful!  Please congratulate her for me, both for her fabulous Challah and her reaching her age of responsibility.

Was the Challah made with traditional ingredients? 

 I had a Jewish friend several years back, (she has since gone to meet her Maker), and she made Challah with the youth in her area.  I had occasion to try it once, and afterwards I made up every excuse I could to be there when I could get a bite.  Absolutely, WONDERFUL!  Rich, soft on the inside, crusty on the outside, oh oh oh , it was soooooo GOOD.

What a fitting representation of the Manna sent from above!

Thank you for reminding me of such a pleasant memory!


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## Rebbetzin (Mar 9, 2012)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> Its is beautiful!  Please congratulate her for me, both for her fabulous Challah and her reaching her age of responsibility.


I sure will!



			
				redtailgal said:
			
		

> Was the Challah made with traditional ingredients?


It is an old Chabad recipe that I "tweeked" a bit.  




			
				redtailgalWhat a fitting representation of the Manna sent from above![/quote said:
			
		

> Thank you for reminding me of such a pleasant memory!


You are quite welcome. The Challah was a real treat in the olden days. since during the week we
ate the dense, hard wheat breads. Challah was a taste of heaven on earth.


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## Queen Mum (Mar 9, 2012)

You know,  I miss those dense hard wheat breads!   I now kind of crave them.   I used to look forward to soft sweet breads and now I want my wheat bread.  AND pumpernickel bread?  OH, boy do I miss that.   My mother used to make the best pumpernickel.    You could chew it for a year!


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## theawesomefowl (Mar 9, 2012)

Good for her--it looks lovely!


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## elevan (Mar 9, 2012)

Challah is so yummy!  She did a wonderful job!  Congratulations to her!


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## redtailgal (Mar 9, 2012)

Rebbitzen......do you make unlevened bread still?  Do you have a recipe that you would be willing to share?

My friend had given me a recipe for a wonderful unleavened bread, it was hard and dense and a dark brown, but it was lost in a house fire before I could use it. 

For those of us that eat the "fluffy stuff" on a regular basis, its nice to get back to the hard stuff from time to time!


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## Rebbetzin (Mar 9, 2012)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> Rebbitzen......do you make unlevened bread still?  Do you have a recipe that you would be willing to share?


Do you mean Matzah, like for Passover?  

I do make a matzah type cracker, I just grind some wheat in my Vitamix, add water, roll it out pretty thin,
 and cook it in a hot pan on the stove.

My husband likes that kind best. Nice and warm still kind of soft.


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## redtailgal (Mar 9, 2012)

Yes, that is what I am talking about Matzah!  I couldnt remember how to spell it, lol.

Stove top?  What do you oil the pan with?

Hers had a little sea salt, and some various herbs......Dill and a few others.  It was heavenly with homemade tomato soup!


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## Rebbetzin (Mar 9, 2012)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> Stove top?  What do you oil the pan with?
> 
> Hers had a little sea salt, and some various herbs......Dill and a few others.  It was heavenly with homemade tomato soup!


I use an old iron frying pan, no oil needed.  Adding herbs would make a very nice Matzah, not Kosher for Passover, but, any other time of the year would be great.


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## redtailgal (Mar 9, 2012)

Thanks for the info.  I'll give it a try.

Guess you didnt expect someone to be grilling you for recipes, lol.

But, you have to face the consequences for showing such a lovely bread.


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## Rebbetzin (Mar 9, 2012)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> Thanks for the info.  I'll give it a try.
> 
> Guess you didnt expect someone to be grilling you for recipes, lol.
> 
> But, you have to face the consequences for showing such a lovely bread.


No, I expect it, every time I post a loaf of bread. 
I am surprsed no one asked for the Challah Recipe...


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## Queen Mum (Mar 9, 2012)

Rebbetzin said:
			
		

> No, I expect it, every time I post a loaf of bread.
> I am surprsed no one asked for the Challah Recipe...


Well?   If it isn't a family secret...  ?


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## Rebbetzin (Mar 9, 2012)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Rebbetzin said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nope, it is all mine...

Sure..


Heidi?s Challah    

Ingredients:

3 eggs						
5 to 6 cups of Bread Flour
(Amount of Flour depends on Humidity)
3/4 cup of Sugar					
2 tsp. of Salt					
? cup of Water (very warm)
1 cup water					
2 pkgs. or approx 2 TBS of yeast 

Instructions

First "proof" yeast in ? cup very warm water (105?to 115?).  Stir ? cup of water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. 
Let stand about 10 minutes.

In large bowl mix eggs, sugar, salt, and water, (it speeds rising time if these ingredients are heated, but do so very 
carefully so you do not cook the eggs!)

Stir Yeast into the bowl (your yeast, which should be foamy, if not you need new yeast or warmer or cooler water, 
too hot of water will kill the yeast, too cool of water and it doesn?t activate.)  

Stir in Flour about 1 cup at a time, when it begins to get too hard to stir, use your hands to work in the rest of the 
flour until the dough is no longer sticky. The dough should feel like the cheek of a small child.
	Put the dough into a oiled bowl, turn the dough to cover it with oil, cover with plastic wrap of some 
other cover to keep in the heat, and keep out the bugs.☺ Let dough rise for about One hour in a warm place, in 
the summer outside in a safe place. In winter, in the stove with a pan of boiling water. To rise the temperature 
must be at least  75?. If the room is too cool, the bread may be very slow in rising.

	After the bread has risen, shape in a braid* or put in a pan, brush top of dough with egg white or a whole egg, 
for a shiny finish, then sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds and bake for about 40 minutes on 350?.  

For a richer tasting Challah, sometimes I add about 1/2 cup or so of sour cream, then adjust the amt. of flour a bit.

*For Braiding Instructions, Come to Challah 101 Class, or look in any number of good Jewish cookbooks.
or now I can add the great instructions at King Arthur Flour
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/03/09/shaping-braids-6-strands-without-using-6-hands/


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## redtailgal (Mar 10, 2012)

Thanks for posting that Challah recipe......I love bread and my waist-line shows it.

By the way, I love your avatar photo!  You look so happy and energetic and FUN, lol.


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## Queen Mum (Mar 10, 2012)

As my great gramma would say:  Vielen Dank! (She was scandahoovian.)    Many thanks... I have copied it to my favorite recipes.  AND bookmarked the page.  I even went out and bought the ingredients today.   I will practice until I no longer am making sweet lumps.

btw,   I like this description:



> The dough should feel like the cheek of a small child.


I get the picture of a soft warms sweet face.


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