Chabad of Mill Valley - Challah Baking Workshop

chabad of mill valley, 355 starling road | 415 381 3794 |

CHANA’S CHALLAHJanuary 17 2013

Welcome to Chana’s Challah Baking

Class!

January 17th 2013

Dough with a Soul!PERSONAL THOUGHTS ON CHALLAH

One of my most favorite Mitzvahs is to bake Challah for my family and community and separate the portion of dough, fulfilling the Mitzvah of Separating Challah.Each week I close my eyes and feel a direct connection to Hashem (G-d). I will pause, take a breath and have in mind all the desires in my heart, while thanking Hashem for the blessing s in my life.I will often pray for people who need a healing, pray for peace in the world and personal prayers deep within my heart. It is a special time where I feel infused with the power to bring blessing into the world and to bring spirituality and holiness to my Challah for Shabbos.

I often think that if I concentrate and pray with all my heart and soul then maybe each taste of my challah will nourish another person with an excitement for Judasim and Torah, sustaining them with a divine blessing.

May each of us here today fulfill the Mitzvah of Separating Challah with a happy, healthy heart, bringing blessings to our home.

There are so many beautiful ways to make Challah for

Shabbos!

C H A B A D M I L L V A L L E Y

355 STARLING ROAD

M i l l V a l l e y , C A 9 4 9 4 14 1 5 . 3 8 1 . 3 7 9 4C H A N A415.419.7296 R A B B I415.336.3055

A bowl of Blessing!

Round Braid! Sweet Challah Rolls!

בס’’ד

WHAT IS CHALLAH?! PAGE2

355 Starling Rd. Mill Valley, CA 94941

Gourmet Kosher Cooking Classes

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Food for the Body and Soul!

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When the Jewish people first entered and settled the land of Israel, one of the many gifts they were commanded to give to the Kohanim, the priestly tribe who served in the Holy Temple, was "challah" -- a portion of dough separated from their kneading bowl every time they baked bread. Any dough which is made of wheat, barley, spelt, oat or rye is obligated in this Mitzvah.

In addition to its practical function as a gift to the kohen, the mitzvah of "Separating Challah" embodies a profound spiritual truth. Challah is G-d's portion in our bread, in our life. It expresses the belief that all of our sustenance truly comes to us through G-d's hand. Just as we may not use the bread dough unless we have separated challah, so too, a portion of our livelihood is always reserved for the giving of charity.

The Torah refers to challah as the reishit--the first and the best--of the kneading bowl. So, too, our spiritual pursuits may occupy only a small portion, quantity-wise, of our lives, but they are "the first and the best" in us, to which we devote the first moments of our day, the freshest of our energies, the keenest of our talents.

Eventually, the soft, sweet bread loaves customarily eaten by the Shabbat meals became known as Challah.

CHANA’S HEALTHY CHALLAH RECIPE! PAGE3

www.chabadmillvalley.com

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Sugar1/2 cup warm water2 squares of dry yeast

1 Cup oil1 cup raw sugarlittle more than half cup flax meal1 Tsp. salt3 eggs3 cups warm water

flour to your desire: 6 white flour, 4 whole wheat flour

Directions:Sprinkle yeast into warm water and add sugar and stir gently. Let sit until foamy about 5 minutes. In a mixer (or bowl) add all other ingredients except flour and stir. Add yeast mixture when foamy and stir again. Add 6 cups white flour and 4 cups whole wheat flour . (If too sticky add more of either flour until no longer sticky).

Using a dough hook mix until dough is not sticky and bounces back when touched.

Place in a bowl and pat with a little oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

When the dough has risen, make the following blessing:

Baruch Atoh Ad-nai Elo-hainu Melech Ha-Olam Asher Kidishanu B’Mitzvotav Vitzivanu L’Hafrish Challah.

After making this blessing pull off a handful of dough and say “ harei Zeh Challah”.

(Place the piece of dough on a piece of foil and place in oven at 450 degrees until burnt. Cover with foil and discard. Only burn this piece of dough by itself in the oven.)

Shape dough and let rise another half hour. Coat with beaten egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

CHANA’S CHALLAH RECIPE! PAGE4

415.381.3794

A Delicious Challah Recipe!A TASTE OF SHABBOS TO SHARE AND ENJOY!

Ingredients:

Time: 20 minutes prep time. 1 1/2 hours rising time. 1/2 hour bake time./ Serves: 7 1lb Challahs

1 pkg (of 3) fleishmans active dry yeast3/4 cup warm water1 Tsp of sugar

1 1/2 cups boiling water (from Kettle)2 cups cold water4 eggs, mixed1 heaping Tbsp kosher salt3/4 cup vegetable oilalmost 1 cup of sugar1 5lb bag of Golds flour

(1 egg beaten for egg wash)

Directions:Sprinkle yeast into warm water and add sugar and stir gently. Let sit until foamy about 5 minutes. In a mixer (or bowl) add all other ingredients except flour and stir. Add yeast mixture when foamy and stir again. Add 13 - 14 cups of flour (almost 1 5 lb bag of flour).

Using a dough hook mix until dough is not sticky and bounces back when touched.

Place in a bowl and pat with a little oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

When the dough has risen, make the following blessing:

Baruch Atoh Ad-nai Elo-hainu Melech Ha-Olam Asher Kidishanu B’Mitzvotav Vitzivanu L’Hafrish Challah.

After making this blessing pull off a handful of dough and say “ harei Zeh Challah”.

(Place the piece of dough on a piece of foil and place in oven at 450 degrees until burnt. Cover with foil and discard. Only burn this piece of dough by itself in the oven.)

Shape dough and let rise another half hour. Coat with beaten egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT CHALLAH! PAGE5

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WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE TWO CHALLAH’S AT EVERY SHABBAT MEAL?It is to commemorate the fact that the Jews in the desert received a double portion of mannah every Friday in honor of Shabbat.

WHY LIGHTLY RUN THE KNIFE OVER THE CHALLAH?The common custom is to make a slight indentation in the challah with the knife before saying the hamotzi blessing.

The reason for this custom is because normally we cut the bread before reciting the blessing so we shouldn't have to make an interruption between the blessing and the eating. On Shabbat, however, we cannot cut the bread before the blessing because there is a mitzvah to make a blessing on two complete loaves of bread (to commemorate the two portions of manna which each Jew received every Friday).

So instead we make a mark on the challah with the knife. This way we are at least "starting" to slice the bread before the blessing.

WHY DO WE DIP THE CHALLAH INTO SALT?We always dip the bread in salt, not only on Shabbat.

Our table is considered an altar (see Ezekiel 41:22 and Ethics of our Fathers 3:3), and in the Holy Temple salt was offered together with every sacrifice (Leviticus 2:13).

Salt never spoils or decays, therefore, it is symbolic of our eternal covenant with G-d. That's why the verse refers to it as "the salt of your G-d's covenant."

[Salt also adds taste to everything. Our bond with G-d is supposed to add meaning and flavor to every moment of our lives; even when we are not directly involved in spiritual pursuits.]

WHY DO WE COVER THE CHALLAH ON SHABBAT?When our ancestors traveled in the desert for forty years, they subsisted on the manna that miraculously fell from heaven every day. The challah we eat on Shabbat is actually in place of that manna. Since the manna was encased between layers of dew that preserved its freshness, we envelop the challahs between the table cloth (or cutting board) and the challah cover, reliving the manna miracle at our Shabbat meal.

Not only do different types of food require different blessings, but there is actually a hierarchy that regulates the order in which we recite blessings and eat various foods.

Generally, the seven foods which the land of Israel is praised with--wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates take priority over other foods. In the event that one is eating two or more of these foods, they are eaten in the order that they are mentioned in the Torah. Since grain is mentioned before grapes, it would follow that the bread should be eaten before the wine.

We therefore cover the bread ("wheat") in order that it not be "shamed" by the fact that we drink the Kiddush wine ("grapes") before we partake of the challah.

SEPARATING CHALLAH! PAGE6

Call Chana for any questions on baking challah! 415 .419.7296

Hafrashat ChallahTHE MITZVAH OF CHALLAH

Challah is taken from wheat, rye, barley, oat or spelt batches that use at least 59 ounces of flour. If you use less than this but more than 43 ounces, take challah, but don’t recite the blessing.

The liquid you mix with the flour should be mostly water. If not, add a drop of water and then take challah without reciting a blessing.

How To Separate Challah:

After you knead the dough, before shaping it into loaves, place all your dough in a single pan or bowl and recite:

Baruch Atah Ado-Nai Elo-Hai-Nu Melech HaOlam Asher Kidishanu B’Mitzvotav V’Tzivanu L’Hafrsih Challah.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate challah.

Separate a small piece (approx. one ounce) and say: “This is challah.”

Harei Zeh Challah.

Wrap the challah in foil and place it in the empty broiler or oven, or burn it by any other method.

BRAIDING 4 STRAND CHALLAH! PAGE7

415.381.3794

1. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Knead each part into a smooth ball and roll each ball into a rope like strand. Lay the strands side by side and pinch together at the top.

2. Grasp the leftmost strand and pass it to the right, under the two strands adjacent to it, and then back toward the left, over one strand (the one closest to it now).

3. Grasp the rightmost strand and pass it to the left, under the two strands adjacent to it (which have already been braided), and then back to the right, over one strand.

4. Alternately repeat steps 2 and 3.

5. When done braiding, pinch the ends of the strands together.

BRAIDING CHALLAH ROLLS! PAGE8

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1. Form a ball of dough and roll it into a long, ropelike strand, about 12 inches (30 cm) long and 1 inch (about 2 cm) in diameter.

2. Form a loop with one long end and one short end, as shown.

3. Thread the long end through the loop.

4. Pinch the two ends together on the bottom of the roll.