Challah

Challahorhallah(/ˈxɑːlə,ˈhɑːlə/(K)HAH-lə;Hebrew:חַלָּה,romanized:ḥallā,pronounced[χaˈla,ħalˈlaː];pl.[c]hallot, [c]hallothor [c]hallos, Hebrew:חַלּוֹת), also known asberchesin Central Europe, is a specialbreadinJewish cuisine, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such asShabbatand majorJewish holidays(other thanPassover).
Ritually acceptable challah is made of dough from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering. Challah may also refer to thedough offering. The word is biblical in origin, meaning "loaf".Similar (usually braided) breads with mainly the same ingredients includebrioche,kalach,kozunak,panettone,pulla,tsoureki,vánočkafound acrossEuropean cuisines.
The termchallahinBiblical Hebrewmeant a kind of loaf or cake.Thetargumisגריצא(pl.גריצן, var.Classical Syriac:ܓܪܝܨܐ / ܓܪܝܣܐ) which also means loaf.The word derives from the rootchet-lamed-lamed(hallal), which means "pierced." According toLudwig Köhler[de],challahwas a sort of bread with a central hole, designed to hang over a post.
InRabbinicterminology,challahoften refers to the portion of dough which must be separated before baking, and set aside as atithefor theKohen,since the biblical verse which commands this practice refers to the separated dough as a "challah".The practice of separating this dough sometimes became known asseparating challah(הפרשת חלה) ortaking challah.The food made from the balance of the dough is also calledchallah.The obligation applies to any loaf of bread, not only to the Shabbat bread, but it is traditional to intentionally bake bread for the Sabbath in such a manner as to obligate oneself, in order to dignify the Shabbat.Bysynecdoche, the termchallahcame to refer to the whole of the loaf from whichchallahis taken.
There is no consensus as to the source of challah’s braided form. Author of A Blessing of Bread, Maggie Glezer, writes that the braiding began in 15th century Austria and Southern Germany, "with Jewish housewives following their non-Jewish counterparts, who plaited the loaves they baked on Sundays".The braids were meant to symbolize the Sabbath bride’s hair, according to Professor Hasia R. Diner.  Another food historianHélène Jawhara Piñer, a scholar of medievalSephardic cuisine, has suggested that a recipe for a leavened and braided bread found in a 13th century Arabic cookbook from Spain, theKitāb al-ṭabīẖ, may have been a precursor to challah.However, while this bread closely resembles the preparation of challah, it was flavored withsaffronand fried, was described in the book as 'the making of braids,' translated into Spanish as'guedejas', and can be translated to Hebrew as'peot'.According to Piñer's analysis, following theirexpulsion from Spain, Sephardic Jews brought this bread northward through Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Challah may also be referred to aschollabread.In Poland it is commonly known aschałka(pronounced[ˈxawka]; diminutive ofchała[ˈxawa]), in Ukraine askolachorkhalaandkhala(хала) in Belarus and  Russia.
Yiddishcommunities in different regions of Europe called the breadkhale,berkhesorbarches,bukhte,dacher,kitke,koylatchorkoilitsh, orshtritsl.Some of these names are still in use today, such askitkein South Africa.
The termkoylatchis cognate with the names of similar braided breads which are consumed on special occasions by other cultures outside the Jewish tradition in a number ofEuropean cuisines. These are theRussiankalach, theSerbiankolač, theUkrainiankolachtheHungariankalács(in Hungary, the Jewish variant is differentiated as Bárhesz), and theRomaniancolac. These names originated fromProto-Slavickolomeaning "circle", or "wheel", and refer to the circular form of the loaf.
In the Middle East, regional Shabbat breads were simply referred to by the local word for bread, such asnoonin Farsi orkhubzin Arabic.
Most traditional Ashkenazi challah recipes use numerouseggs, finewhite flour, water, sugar,yeast, oil (such as vegetable or canola), and salt, but "water challah" made without eggs and having a texture likeFrench baguettealso exists, which is typically suitable for those following vegan diets. Modern recipes may replace white flour withwhole wheat,oat, orspeltflour or sugar withhoneyormolasses.
According toSephardic Jewishobservance ofhalachah, a bread with too much sugar changes the status of the bread to cake. This would change the blessing used over the bread fromHamotzi(bread) toMezonot(cake, dessert breads, etc.) which would invalidate it for use during theKiddushfor Shabbat.While braided breads are sometimes found inSephardic cuisine, they are typically not challah but are variants of regional breads likeçörek, eaten by Jews and non-Jews alike.
Egg challah sometimes also containsraisinsand/orsaffron. After the first rising, the dough is rolled into rope-shaped pieces which are braided, though local (hands inLithuania, fish or hands inTunisia) and seasonal (round, sometimes with a bird's head in the centre) varieties also exist.Poppyorsesame(Ashkenazi) andaniseorsesame(Sephardi) seeds may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top. Both egg and water challah are usually brushed with an egg wash before baking to add a golden sheen.
Challah is almost alwayspareve(containing neither dairy nor meat—important in the laws ofKashrut), unlikebriocheand other enriched European breads, which contain butter or milk as it is typically eaten with a meat meal.
Israeli breads for shabbat are very diverse, reflecting the traditions of Persian, Iraqi, Moroccan, Russian, Polish, Yemeni, and other Jewish communities who live in theState of Israel. They may containeggsorolive oilin the dough as well as water, sugar,yeast, salt,honeyandraisins. It may be topped withsesameor other seeds according to variousminhagim.
According to Jewish tradition, the threeSabbath meals(Friday night, Saturday lunch, and Saturdaylate afternoon) and two holiday meals (one at night and lunch the following day) each begin with two complete loaves of bread.This "double loaf" (in Hebrew:לחם משנה) commemorates themannathat fell from the heavens when theIsraeliteswandered in the desert afterthe Exodus. The manna did not fall on Sabbath or holidays; instead, a double portion would fall the day before the holiday or sabbath to last for both days.While two loaves are set out and the blessing is recited over both, most communities only require one of them to be cut and eaten.
In some Ashkenazi customs, each loaf is woven with six strands of dough. Together, the loaves have twelve strands, alluding to the twelve loaves of theshowbreadoffering in the Temple.  Other numbers of strands commonly used are three, five and seven. Occasionally, twelve are used, referred to as a "Twelve Tribes" challah. Some individuals – mostlyHasidicrabbis – have twelve separate loaves on the table.
Challot - in these cases extremely large ones - are also sometimes eaten at other occasions, such as a wedding or aBrit milah, but without ritual.
It is customary to begin the evening and day Sabbath and holiday meals with the following sequence of rituals:
The specific practice varies. Some dip the bread into salt before the blessing on bread.Others say the blessing, cut or tear the challah into pieces, and only then dip the pieces in salt, or sprinkle them with salt, before they are eaten.Some communities may make a nick in the bread with a cutting knife.
Normally, the custom is not to talk between washing hands and eating bread. However, according to some, if salt was not placed on the table, it is permitted to ask for someone to bring salt, before the blessing on bread is recited.
Salting challah is considered a critical component of the meal. Customs vary whether the challah is dipped in salt, salt is sprinkled on it, or salt is merely present on the table. This requirement applies to any bread, though it is observed most strictly at Sabbath and holiday meals.
The Torah requires thatTemple sacrificesto God be offered with salt.Following thedestruction of the Second Temple,Rabbinic literaturesuggested that a table set for a meal symbolically replaces the Temple altar; therefore, the blessing over food should only be recited with salt present on the table.Should one eat a meal without performing a commandment, the covenant of salt protects him.
To the rabbis, a meal without salt was considered no meal.Furthermore, in theTorah, salt symbolizes the eternal covenant between God and Israel.As a preservative, salt never spoils or decays, signifying the immortality of this bond.
OnRosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the challah may be rolled into a circular shape (sometimes referred to as a "turban challah"), symbolizing the cycle of the year, and is sometimes baked with raisins in the dough. Some have the custom of continuing to eat circular challah from Rosh Hashana through the holiday ofSukkot. In the Maghreb (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria) many Jews will simply bake their challah in the shape of "turban challah" year-round.
Sometimes the top is brushed with honey to symbolize the "sweet new year." According to some traditions, challah eaten on Rosh Hashana is not dipped in or sprinkled with salt but instead is dipped in or sprinkled with honey. As above, some continue to use honey instead of salt through the Sukkot holiday.
For theShabbat MevarchimprecedingRosh ChodeshIyar(i.e., the firstShabbatafter the end ofPassover), some Ashkenazi Jews have the custom of bakingshlisselchallah ("key challah") as asegula(propitious sign) forparnassa(livelihood). Some make an impression of a key on top of the challah before baking, some place a key-shaped piece of dough on top of the challah before baking, and some bake an actual key inside the challah.
The earliest written source for this custom is theOhev YisraelofAvraham Yehoshua Heshel(1748–1825), published in 1863. He refers toschlisselchallah as a preexisting custom and offers severalkabbalisticinterpretations.
The custom has been criticized for allegedly having its source in Christian or pagan practices.
Challah rolls, known as abilkeleorbulkeleorbilkelorbulkel(plural:bilkelekh;Yiddish:בילקעלע) orbajgiel(Polish) is a bread roll made with eggs, similar to a challah bun. It is often used as the bread for Shabbat or holiday meals.
Similarbraided, egg-enriched breadsare made in other traditions. TheRomaniancolacis a similar braided bread traditionally presented for holidays and celebrations such as Christmas carolingcolindat.ThePolishchałkais similar, though sweeter than challah. TheCzechvánočkaandSlovakvianočkais very similar and traditionally eaten at Christmas. InBulgarianandRomaniancuisine there is a similar bread calledcozonac(Bulgarian:козунак), whiletsourekibread (also known aschoregorçörek) is popular inArmenian,GreekandTurkishcuisines. A sweet bread calledmilibrod(Macedonian:милиброд), similarly braided as the challah, is part of the dinner table during Orthodox Easter in Macedonia.Zopfis a similar bread from Germany,AustriaandSwitzerland, with a sweeter variant known asHefezopforHefekranz. InFinnish cuisine,pulla(also known as cardamom bread inEnglish) is a small braided pastry seasoned with cardamom that is very popular in Finnish cafés.Briocheis an egg-enriched bread, but it is not braided.
Unlike challah, which by convention is pareve, many of these breads also contain butter and milk.