Shabbat Chic: Challah- Before and After Baking

3/4/11

Here's a good explanation of traditional Challah making, including measurements, methods and the reason for separating a small piece of dough to burn as a sacrifice. Here are the traditional blessings over the candles, wine and bread.

And here's a good, short video if you want to see easy Challah making for everyone at home.

Preparing, baking, blessing and serving two loaves of Challah at Shabbat dinner on Friday night is a delicious tradition. There are a lot of explanations and interpretations, but nearly everyone agrees that the two loaves represent the double portion of manna provided on the sixth day as the Israelites trekked in the wilderness and stopped their activity to rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath.

Click to see Jaime Geller demonstrate six-strand Challah braiding.

Looking for something more exotic?

Click for Tunisian and Ethiopian Shabbat Bread recipes.

No time to braid your own Challahs? Get one of these silicone baking molds and use it for perfect loaves instead!

Plenty of time to braid and bake your own Challahs? Try this
Whole Wheat Sourdough Challah.

Click HERE to read and hear the

traditional blessings over Challah.

Click for Cholent recipes,

the traditional meat, bean and vegetable stew

served with Challah on Shabbat afternoon.

A Small Sanctuary

Although many Jewish men and women don’t take the time to perform this ritual at home, the Shabbat (Sabbath) candle-lighting ritual represents one of the quickest and easiest, and, therefore, practical spiritual practices I know. You need only clear off the kitchen or dining room table, place a pretty table cloth upon it to prepare your “temple” for Shabbat, or the Sabbath. Even a few small actions will create a mikdash ma’at, a small sanctuary, in your home on Erev Shabbat, the evening Shabbat begins...
Nina Amir