“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you come into the land to which I am bringing you, and you eat of the bread of the land, you shall set aside an offering to the Lord.” (Num. 15:18-19).
This is the origin of the challah, the white bread that accompanies Shabbat and Jewish festivals.
Originally, and for as long as possible, the tithe offered to the priest was taken from this bread. Today, now that the Temple no longer stands, a small piece of the dough is nevertheless set aside, burned in the oven and not consumed.
The challah, a white, soft bread with a slightly sweet taste, is one of the essential components of the Saturday meal. It is braided, and two of them are placed on the table, in memory of the double portion of manna that God bestowed upon the Israelites in the desert on the eve of Shabbat and festivals. The preparation of this bread and the separation of the offering from the dough are exclusively women's work.
Source: Elena Loewenthal "Gli ebrei questi sconosciuti"
Challah Recipe:
- 250 g of flour
- 25 g of fresh compressed baker's yeast or a sachet of dried yeast
- 50 g of sugar
- an egg
- a tablespoon of oil
- a pinch of salt
- Form a "mound" with the flour, salt and sugar; make a "well" in the middle into which to pour the egg.
- Begin to knead.
- Gradually add the fresh yeast previously dissolved in lukewarm water.
- Knead.
- Add the oil and continue kneading.
You should obtain a fairly uniform ball of dough.
- Leave to rise covered with a cloth for 2 to 3 hours.
- Various challoth can be made with either two or three braids.
- Mix an egg yolk with a little coffee and use a pastry brush to coat the challoth evenly.
- Bake for 20 minutes in an oven at 160°C.
Techniques for making a three-strand challah:
Four strands:
Six strands:
