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Auntie Rivka's Never Fail Challah for Rosh Hashanah

Now folks, this recipe for challah really never did fail. I must admit that whenever Auntie Rivka made this challah it was an unqualified success. No matter how hard she tried, this recipe always succeeded. It was uncanny. It was a recipe given to her by my mother! Uncle Leibel was particularly fond of this challah made with honey for Rosh Hashanah. Please be careful with the baking times as the use of honey in this recipe tends to make the challah burn a little faster. As Uncle Leibel used to say: "Rivka, the mitzvah is to burn a PIECE of the challah. You are not doing a greater mitzvah by burring the WHOLE challah!"

This recipes makes two large round challahs.

Preheat the oven to 350F

  • 7 cups WHITE flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup liquid honey
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 TB. yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt

    Glaze

  • 1 egg well beaten
  • 1 tsp. water
  • poppy seeds

    In a large mixing bowl add the yeast to the lukewarm water. Do NOT add the water to the yeast!

    Beat the eggs until foamy.

    Add to the yeast mixture.

    Add the oil, raisins and honey.

    Blend in about half of the flour, and mix until all ingredients have been absorbed and you have a smooth ball of dough.

    Cover with a clean tea towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour or until it has just about doubled in size. Do not let it rise too much as it will become full of air bubbles. The other problem is that if you go away and leave it unattended it might greet you at the front door when you come back!

    Place the dough on a floured surface and add the salt and as much of the remaining flour as you need (should I say knead) to make the ball soft but not sticky. This will vary depending on the altitude you are at.

    Divide the dough into strips. On Rosh Hashanah Mom used to divide the dough into four or six strands which were woven and then wound into a spiral to form a round challah. Auntie Rivka did not braid the round challah, but simply rolled out the dough and rolled in into a spiral. Mom did the braiding "so as to impress your Auntie Rivka." In either case, once the braiding has been completed :

    Flour and grease a baking sheet.

    Put the challah on the baking sheet. (Oh, are we clever!)

    Cover the challah again and place it in a warm spot to rise for about another hour or until it has just about doubled in size.

    Beat an egg with a teaspoon or so of water added. Brush this on the top of the challah with a pastry brush. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top.

    Bake at 350F until golden brown, about 45 minutes to one hour.

    Remove challah from baking sheet and cool on a rack, otherwise the challah will be soggy underneath and you will receive in F in Auntie Rivka's challah baking school. We would not want to get an " F" in the New Year, would we?

    OK, you do want to know how to make a six strand braided challah? FORGET IT! You will have to settle for my instructions on how to braid a four strand challah. To show you how to braid a six strand challah I would need a TV program! That is best left for the advanced courses in Auntie Rivka's cooking school!

    Are you ready??.

    First separate the challah into 4 strands.

    Now that was the easy step.

    For those of you who get easily confused (simply self identify--don't write) there is a method to this madness:

    Get 4 toothpicks.

    Take 4 little pieces of paper about 1 inch square. (Don't get too neat these will be thrown out later.)

    Number each paper 1 through 4.

    So far so good?

    Stick each numbered block of paper on a toothpick.

    On the bottom of each strand of dough place the toothpick with the numbers IN ORDER into the strands of challah dough from LEFT to RIGHT. And away we go.........

    Pinch the top of the braids together LIGHTLY. Take strand one in your right hand (and repeat after me): Weave it over strand 2, under strand 3 and over strand 4.

    Strand 1 should now be lying to the right of strand 4.

    Take strand 2 in your right hand (and repeat after me): Weave it over strand 3 under strand 4 and over strand 1

    Strand 2 should now be lying to the right of strand 1

    Take strand 3 in your right hand (and repeat after me): Weave it over strand 4 under strand 1 and over strand 2

    Strand 3 should now be lying to the right of strand 2

    Take strand 4 in your right hand (and repeat after me): Weave it over stand 1 under strand 2 and over strand 3

    Strand 4 should now be lying to the right of strand three.

    Remember in a four braided challah the strand on the left goes: Over, Under, Over, the other strands.

    Continue in this fashion until the challah dough is used up or you have lost patience. as you have traveled across the table. Inevitably one end of your challah will be thicker than the other DON'T PANIC. This time it is OK. Place the thicker end of the challah in the center and spiral the rest of the challah around it. This will form a braided round challah!

    Congratulations--you have passed Challah baking Level 1.

    Oh, by the way, please remove the toothpick with the little numbered flags. Don't bake the challah with these attached!. Thank you.

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