Shabbat Challah: Food Post #1

I don't consider this a food blog of any sort, but as I do enjoy baking and cooking, I suppose a post on food every now and then is not out of order.  Specifically, I have about two recipes that I make repeatedly, and therefore, I have about two recipes that are requested repeatedly.  Since it was just Shabbat, I'll start with the traditional bread for Erev Shabbat (Friday after sunset): Challah.

After my first year in Israel, I decided that I needed to find a good recipe for Challah because, lets be honest, there aren't too many Jewish Bakeries in Montana.  If I wanted good Challah, I would have to make it myself.  So I did an internet search which netted me various and sundry results.  The one I finally decided to try can be found here.  It turned out so well that I made it every Friday at camp.  

This is a small sample of the amount of bread baked at camp.

At this point I should probably offer a disclaimer: I am not Jewish, my camp is not Jewish, and I mostly like the bread for its taste.  Still, although I don't come even close to keeping Shabbat, I do enjoy some of the tradition associated with it: the candles, the blessings, the community.  I suppose the specifics vary from family to family, but some elements remain the same.  Here, we will make a fairly simple meal, invite over a few friends (since none of us really have family in the area), say a brief liturgy over the candles, bread, and wine, and then spend the evening enjoying each other's company.

Anyway, here is the Challah recipe I use (from the website but cut in half because 3 loaves is plenty).

Mix together:
7 c. flour (I use white, but probably could use about half wheat)
1 c. sugar (less can be put in if you, but probably not more)
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. yeast (active, dry)

Make a well in the flour and pour in:
2 c. warm water (less than 115F)
1/3 c. oil (I often use olive oil, though the bread doesn't seem to rise as well)
1 egg

Mix together wet and dry ingredients.  (If you want, you can add the yeast to the water first to let it soften.  I don't generally see much of a difference.)  Kneed the dough until smooth and stretchy.  Cover it and let it rise until roughly doubled in size.  Ideally, this should take about an hour but may vary, depending on ambient temperature.

Once the dough has risen, allow it to deflate and begin dividing it to shape it into loaves.  I generally make three braided loaves from it which requires nine roughly equal portions of dough.  Roll each portion of dough into a "snake," probably about a foot long.  Take three dough snakes and pinch them together at one end.  Braid.  Seal off the other end.  (If you don't know how to braid...uh...find someone who does.)

Place the braided loaves on a greased sheet pan...or 2 sheet pans...or, if you want, in a loaf pan.  Let rise again, until about doubled.

Meanwhile, beat one egg.  When the loaves have risen, gently brush the egg onto the loaves, covering them.  Then sprinkle the loaves with sesame seeds.

Put in a preheated oven (roughly 375F or 190C) and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a dark golden brown.

While the bread is baking, prepare the glaze.
Glaze:
3/4 c. boiling water
1/2 c. sugar

I usually roughly estimate water and sugar amounts and throw them in the microwave until the syrup boils.  Have this ready just as the bread comes out of the oven.

Take the bread out of the oven and immediately pour the glaze over the top of the loaves, trying to hit every spot.  Drain off the excess glaze and remove the loaves to a wire cooling rack.  (If you leave them in the excess syrup too long they will get soggy.)  You're done!

Here are some friends helping me make Challah for
this last Shabbat.

Before you eat the bread, say this blessing:

Ba-ruch at-ta Adonai Elohenu me-lek ha-o-lam ha-mo-tzee le-chem min ha-a-retz.

Blessed is the Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who causes bread to come forth from the earth.

Shabbat Shalom!

Random thoughts.

1.  I've been state-side for nearly 3 weeks now.  

2. Which means that I've adjusted to somethings, at least.   For example, I rarely look for a trash can in which to throw my toilet paper any more.  

3. I found a resturant in town that serves falafel, which I find quite impresive, considering the size and location of my town.  It's pretty tasty too.  I might just have to visit it more often...

4. I'm working on integrating some things from Israel into life here.  For example, tonight for dinner I made "mujadarah"- a middle eastern dish including rice and lentils and fried onions.  Here is an example recipe, though it's not the exact one I used.  In honor of Shabbat I also made challah bread, which turned out quite well.  The recipe I used is the first one on this page.  

5. The other day I bought mint and sage so I could make Bedouin tea.  The mint reminds me of Jordan and the sage reminds me of Dahab...and both make me want to go back...

6. I head up to camp tomorrow...or I guess it's today now... so that I'll be able to settle in a little bit before I have to feed everyone (perhaps single-handedly) on Sunday.  

7. I'm kind of sad to be leaving town again, just as I've started to re-connect with some old friends...but on the other hand, I'm rather looking forward to having a demanding schedule again.  I'm hoping that new friends and lots of work will help take my mind of missing Israel and friends from there.  

8. I've started reading Jerusalem Post headlines online.  I find that when people find out I've been to Israel, the first thing they ask about is the current political situation.  If they were to ask about the political situation during the time of Solomon, I might be able to help them, but they never seem to be interested in that.  The joys of being an ancient history major. :)  So I've decided that over the summer I need to educate myself more on the modern state of Israel and current events there.  

9. Lately, removal of outpostAmerican pressure to stop settlement growth have been the subject of debate in the headlines.  It's interesting to see different perspectives batted around.  Settlers are among the most extreme people in Israel, unwilling to give up even an inch of the land they believe they are Biblically entitled to.  I'll quote from this article:

"Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's," the US president said at Cairo University. "It is time for these settlements to stop."

Such statements are rejected out of hand by residents here, who view the increase in American pressure as misguided and ill-informed.

"I think it's symptomatic of Western thought," Gal said. "They read so deeply into a situation that in reality, is quite simple. We're the Jewish people and this is our home, and the Arabs are not going to stop attacking us if we leave Givat Asaf. If Israel pulls back from the settlements, Ben-Gurion Airport will become the next target. You have to ask yourself, what could we possibly gain from another disengagement?"

I have to say that this settler's arogance really struck me.  "We're the Jewish people." As if that is the answer to all questions.  To them it is.  If we push theology aside for a moment, historical rights are hard to determine.  Jews base their claim to the land on their historic presence there as documented by the Bible.  However, the Canaanites had possession long before the Hebrews came, and Arabs and Turks ruled long after the Jewish people were scattered abroad.  As far as total time in the land is concerned, Jews really have a debatable claim.  Of course, everything is far more complicated...which is one reason I wish both Jews and Arabs would be less black and white in their perspectives.  

10. And on the other side there is this article:

An IDF soldier was lightly wounded Tuesday morning after a 13-year-old Palestinian boy stabbed him at the Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus.

Soldiers arrested the assailant, who had entered the checkpoint through the "humanitarian lane," which is meant to be used by Palestinians in need of immediate medical attention and therefore bypasses the inspection in the regular lane.

Such actions seem to lend credence to the settlers' claims.  There is always food for thought in the events in modern Israel...usually depressing thoughts.  It's a mess.

11. I talked to my brother and sister-in-law tonight, which was good.  We talked about my perspective on my church since coming back and sort of brainstormed ideas on how to make all my new-found knowledge useful to the Body.  This question is sort of a corollary to one of the most commonly asked questions I get: "What are you going to do with this degree?"  I tell people, "I will be a better informed Christian."  If nothing else, I want to be able to use what I've  learned to encourage people in their faith...but I want to do that without being a critical know-it-all.  That balance could be difficult to find.  Something to work on this summer.  

12. And with that, it's high time that I head to bed.  My next post will probably be about some camp adventures.  :)