Among my favorite childhood memories are the Friday afternoons we'd bake challah, the traditional Jewish bread. My ten-year-old hands rolling the pliable dough, Mom's swift braiding, the smell of loaves baking, that first scrumptious morsel — warm and crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside — at the Sabbath dinner table.
Now you can enjoy the hamishe ("homey" in Yiddish) of Mom's –or Bubbie's– ("Grandmother's") challah by consulting one of the many challah recipes online.
The term "challah" refers to the portion of the dough that is taken off with a blessing prior to baking. Nowadays, this piece is discarded with great reverence. The ritual of removing a portion of dough actually refers to an obligation the Jewish nation was required to perform when they entered the Land of Israel. Historically, the portion of dough was set aside for the Priests of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, over 2000 years ago, so that they could be sustained while fulfilling their divine service.
The taking of challah dough is a source of great blessing in the Jewish tradition.
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