Halla bread

Jewish challah bread is not just a traditional Jewish pastry, but also a part of the culture and history of this people. Although it is worth noting that the word “challah” is not used correctly in everyday life today. The source from which this term originates is the Torah, and, according to its text, a kind of sacrifice is considered challah, namely a piece of dough that is pinched off from the total mass before baking any bread, after which it is burned. So, if you dig a little deeper, challah is not just a woven loaf of bread on the Sabbath table (namely, for Shabbat, challah is prepared in advance, from Friday evening, as a festive dish), but also part of the symbolic ritual of the Jews.

What is challah

According to the Torah, during the preparation of bread, which is traditionally considered an exclusively female responsibility, it is necessary to make the so-called challah, that is, a sacrifice: to separate a small piece of raw dough and burn it. Before the burning of Jerusalem and its central temple, this dough was given to the servants of the temple (kohanim) to relieve them of the need to take care of their own food. Today it is believed that until the temple is restored, no one else is worthy of this honor, which is why the separated piece is set on fire.

The purpose of the challah separation is to remind a person that everything that he has cannot be kept only for himself. If a Jew has wisdom, health and wealth, they should be devoted to the achievement of various spiritual tasks. In addition, it works as a reminder that in order to create and achieve your goals, only your own strengths, skills and knowledge are not enough, but God’s blessing is also necessary. Interestingly, the custom of sacrifice can be traced not only at the stage of preparing challah or other types of bread. Farmers who are engaged in the cultivation and harvesting of grain also separate part of the crop for donations (maaser and trumo).

Jewish women prefer to bake challah on their own rather than buy it in stores, as Judaism recognizes this as a mitzvah – a good deed, worthy of praise, which can please both the woman herself and her household.

Separating challah is not allowed from any dough, but only from certain types of cereals made from flour:

• wheat;
• the floor;
• oats;
• rye;
• barley.

It is important that the dough from which the challah will be plucked must contain water. In addition, the amount of flour in it must be at least 1230 g. If less flour was needed to prepare the dough, they do not donate challah from it. In cases where the amount of flour is more than 1230 g, but less than 1666 g, the separation of the challah takes place without pronouncing the blessing.

The blessing is a prayer that is said after kneading the dough before forming the product. She is spoken over the entire mass of dough before separating a piece. It is allowed to proclaim a prayer (blessing) when separating challah from dough, where flour has been used for more than 1666.

Burning a piece of dough can take place on an open fire, in an oven or oven, for this it must first be wrapped in foil. It is allowed to get rid of it in another way, namely throw it in the trash, wrapping it in two layers of paper or cloth before that.

In a more familiar meaning today, challah is called braided bread made from yeast dough, having the shape of a ring or oblong, oval, rectangular. Shabbat challah, lush, fragrant and airy, seems to draw a line between busy workdays and more festive days off. The bun has an airy, elastic crumb and a crispy fried crust.

On the Internet you can find recipes for every taste, but the classic challah usually does not have a pronounced sweet or salty taste, like regular dinner bread.

Since challah is symbolically considered manna from heaven, it is sprinkled with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. The shape of the product also has a certain meaning, for example, a round challah is being prepared for the New Year. In a braided pigtail of three stripes, each of them represents peace, truth and justice. The bread, woven from 6 strips, is usually served in the form of two loaves at the same time, symbolizing 12 loaves for the 12 tribes of Israel.

Varieties of challah

The Jews are an amazing nation that, during its long history, has settled all over the globe. Accordingly, challah in different countries of the world has its own characteristics and different names. South German barges or berkhes is prepared without butter and eggs.

In the Western part of Germany, challah is called datser or daher, and in Hungary – sombati-kalach. The Lithuanian and Latvian names for bread are kitke. In Poland, challah is prepared for big holidays, for example, for weddings, and it is called “koilec”. This bread is used during the wedding ritual.

Calorie content and composition of the product

• 7,9 g protein;
• 2,6 g fat;
• 51 g carbohydrates.

The main difference between challah and wicker pastries similar to it is the absence of milk in the recipe and the addition of a large amount of eggs. There are, however, recipes without eggs. The product contains a whole storehouse of valuable vitamins – A, D, E, H, PP and group B. In addition, there are useful minerals: cobalt, zinc, calcium, sulfur, iodine, potassium, magnesium, fluorine, boron, vanadium, silicon , tin, titanium, nickel, aluminum, chromium, molybdenum, phosphorus and sodium.

Challah preparation methods

The festive Sabbath bread of the Jews can be prepared both sweet and salty, with the addition of various spices, spices, and even candied fruits with nuts. True, we are not talking about the authenticity of such recipes, but the whole family can be pampered with an amazing delicacy.

The most common recipe is classic or traditional challah. It will require 45 g of yeast, half a cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, a quarter or half a cup of vegetable oil, 9 cups of flour and 4 beaten eggs.

Yeast is diluted in warm water and left for 10 minutes. Then they add sugar, salt, butter, eggs, and mix thoroughly. Flour is placed in portions – first 3 cups, after which the future dough is gradually mixed. Then – the next 3 cups, and the mixture at this time begins to acquire the texture of a thick dough, and it must be continued to be kneaded. The last portion is added to the mixture, and the dough begins to be kneaded by hand. You can add more flour if necessary. The dough should become soft and homogeneous. After that, it is stirred for 7 minutes, then placed in a large vessel, smeared with oil from the inside, put in a warm place (for example, near a stove or stove) for an hour and a half. The dough should double in size. So that there are no air gaps in the structure, you can process the product with your fists – sharp blows on it will help to “knock out” the remaining air.

After these procedures, you can separate the challah from the dough (if it is a traditional Jewish dish for Shabbat). The rest simply divide the dough into equal parts and make it in the form of a braid of 3 or 6 stripes.

The trays on which the challah will be cooked are greased with oil. The dough is sent to the oven – there it should rise twice more.

From now on, it is baked for half an hour at a temperature of 175 degrees Celsius. There are also recipes for challah that is cooked in a bread machine, such as sweet challah with honey. Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup warm water;
• 4 eggs;
• 100 g butter;
• half a glass of honey;
• 1 tablespoon salt;
• 7-8 glasses of flour;
• 3 teaspoons dry yeast.

In addition, you will need 1 egg and a tablespoon of water to lubricate the surface of the product.

With the help of a bread machine, the dough for the future challah is prepared: all the ingredients are placed in it for 2 hours in the appropriate mode. After the dough is kneaded, it is taken out of the bread machine and left for another 20-40 minutes in a warm place so that it can rise more. Next, the dough is divided into two parts in a ratio of about a third to two thirds. Each of the parts is again divided, this time into three identical parts. From each portion, bundles are formed, which are braided with a pigtail. The resulting braids, of course, have different sizes. First, a large one is placed on a baking sheet greased with butter, its surface is wetted with water, and the smaller one is placed on top. After that, the pigtails are covered with a clean, dense cloth and left for 30 minutes – the dough should be distributed about 2 times during this time. The egg is beaten with a tablespoon of water, the surface of the future bread is coated with the resulting mixture, after which the dish is sent to the oven. Baking temperature – no more than 180 degrees, duration – until a golden crust appears.

How about a touch of Italian exoticism in traditional Jewish pastries?

Challah with spicy herbs and garlic turns out fragrant and unusual, somewhat reminiscent of Ukrainian donuts. For cooking take:

• 1 glass of warm water;
• 2 eggs;
• 2 tablespoons of honey;
• 60 g butter at room temperature;
• 4 cup of flour;
• a teaspoon of salt;
• 2 teaspoons of powdered yeast;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• half a teaspoon of basil, cumin and rosemary in the form of dried spices.

2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 egg, a clove of garlic and another half a teaspoon of fragrant herbs will come in handy for smearing.

The dough can be prepared with or without a bread maker. The technologies of these two options have already been described above. If the dough is prepared by hand, herbs and chopped garlic are placed last. Fresh basil, of course, could give the bread more aroma, but because of it, the dough rises worse, so dried seasoning is used.

Bundles are formed from the dough, which are braided with pigtails. Its edges can be folded into a ring, hiding the ends inside. On a baking sheet greased with butter, the future bread stands for another 20-30 minutes, reaching the desired state. The surface of the challah is coated with a mixture of butter, eggs, spices and garlic, after which it is placed in the oven for 35-40 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees, until it is reddened. Ready bread can be cooled on a special grill. You can cut the challah 2 hours after taking it out of the oven, when it has cooled down, although it is much more pleasant to pinch it with your hands.

Challah is most often braided from two, three, four or six bundles. There are many videos on the Internet that help to comprehend this science. The main thing is not to pull the bundles in the process of weaving, but simply shift them.

Benefit

Can Jewish Sabbath bread be healthy to eat? Of course, since it contains a large set of microelements, minerals and vitamins, which together improve well-being, stimulate immunity, give vigor, help fight seasonal blues, strengthen the musculoskeletal system, the nervous and cardiovascular systems of a person, and also give energy for life.

Of course, challah is not a panacea for all ills, and, like any flour products, it is quite high in calories. Made from white flour, it can affect blood cholesterol levels by increasing it. Overweight people with diabetes will most likely need to get their doctor’s approval to try challah.

Jews prepare this leavened bread for special occasions, at Passover, for Shabbat Sabbaths and celebrations. Delicious, fragrant and airy challah, with a beautiful golden crust, will undoubtedly take pride of place on the festive table.

However, it is not at all necessary to belong to an ancient nation in order to try this pastry: just find any interesting recipe on the Internet (sweet challah, spicy, with honey, candied fruits, nuts, spices or classic), and spend some time kneading the dough. Of course, there is an option to buy a braided line in a store, but it is likely to be inferior in taste to a home-made product prepared with soul, inspiration and love.