Challah, the Queen of Sabbath breads, has a special place at our table as it has significance as a symbol of the New Year. Our braided loaf gets a makeover for the festivities and takes on a new form...round round round it gets a-round: round to represent the cycle of the year; it gives us another stimulus to think about the year to come. Some will add raisins to their challot (the plural of challah) as a wish of sweetness to their lives and/or a desire for the many good things that may happen. Yuppers, I think it would be appropriate this year to supersize the amounts!

Here's an easy-sneezy way to form a round challah: Roll the dough into a rope, about 1/2" in diameter. Coil the rope around on itself and tuck the end underneath. Cover the coil, do the final rise, and bake according to directions.

Ultra-Foodie Nancy Berry (one of the authors of "The Baker's Dozen") sends us this anise-scented Moroccan lower-fat "challah" -- the name is Ladino, the language of the Sephardim. She tells us the author notes that sweet almonds or fragrant rose water are also added for Sukkot.

Even easier-sneezier, there's no need to knead, one of our favorite foodies Faygie writes to the list. I don't knead anyway ever since I picked up a bread machine I found at a sidewalk/garage sale, one of the main weekend social events in my neighborhood. It's certainly easy to set it to the dough cycle and take it out and bake it to any form I please, but I digress. One of the ingredients in this recipe may be unfamiliar to some readers: "Wondra" is the brand name of an ultra-fine "sauce" flour.

Always thinking of the health-minded, Maxine Wolfson (co-moderator of the list) shares this slightly spicy and definitely saffron mellow-yellow whole wheat loaf. Wheatalicious! Note that the proportions of wheat-to-white flour can be increased but you'll need an ingredient called "vital gluten" to keep from making hockey pucks since the bran in whole wheat tends to break the gluten present when mixed/kneaded. One tablespoon per cup of flour should be enough.

Leftover challah? Nope, no such thing as "leftovers," only "pre-recipes!" Raquel Schnitzer's Challah Sticks are a grrrrreat way to enhance a dairy pasta night/lasagna meal or a fish dinner.

Anise Bread, Moroccan (Khboz) (P)
Source: "The World of Jewish Cooking," by Gil Marks
Yield: 2 loaves

1 2-1/2-tsp. package active dry yeast OR 1 0.6-ounce cake fresh yeast
1-1/3 cups warm water (my note, "warm" is babybottle warm)
1 tsp. sugar or honey
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2-3 tsp. anise seeds
4 tsp. Kosher salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white, beaten with 1 tsp. water
3 tbsp. sesame seeds

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the water. Add the sugar or honey and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the remaining water, oil, anise, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Gradually stir in the remaining flour until the mixture holds together.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. Shape each piece into a ball, cover, and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle a large baking sheet with cornmeal or fine semolina or grease the baking sheet. Flatten each dough ball into a 6" round. Some cooks flute the outer edge, others leave it plain. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, cover, and let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Prick the dough around the sides with the tines of a fork or a toothpick. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg white and lightly sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Bake until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Posted by Nancy Berry
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A

No Knead Challah II (P, TNT)
Source: Southfield, Michigan area B'nai B'rith
Serves: 12

1 stick margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups boiling water
2 packages yeast
3-4 tablespoons warm water
8 cups Wondra flour
3 eggs

Put margarine, sugar and salt in large bowl of electric mixer with the 2 cups boiling water. At the same time, dissolve yeast in warm water; let cool about 10 minutes. Combine both mixtures. Add l/2 of the flour and all the eggs. Mix for 4 minutes with beaters. Add the remaining flour and mix well by hand [unless your mixer has a dough attachment].

Cover with towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour or in refrigerator overnight until needed. When ready to use punch out air and make into loaves or twisted shape and put in greased pans. Paint tops of loaves with beaten egg [a fourth egg]

Let rise again for 1 hour. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes until brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Poster's Notes: For Rosh Hashanah, I add golden raisins and bake it in a round pan with a little thingy on the top.

Posted by Faygie
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A

Whole Wheat Challah (P, TNT)
Source: Based on Jennie Grossinger's recipe from "The Art of Jewish
Cooking", but definitely adapted into a new recipe by me
Serves: 1 large or 2 medium or 3 small loaves

2 tbsp. yeast
1 tbsp. plus 3 tbsp. sugar
1-1/4 cups 100 F water
2 cups whole wheat flour
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. saffron
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
2 tbsp. salad oil
1 egg yolk plus 1 tbsp. water and 1 tsp. sugar
2-4 tbsp. poppy or sesame seed

Combine yeast, 1 tbsp. sugar and 1/4 cup water, and allow to stand while sifting dry ingredients.

Sift flours, 3 tbsp. sugar, salt, saffron, and cinnamon into large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add 2 eggs, lightly beaten, oil, yeast mixture and rest of water. Mix until dough peels away from the side of the bowl. Turn onto oiled and floured surface, and knead for about 5-7 minutes with oiled hands. Cover and allow to rise until doubled. Punch down, and allow to double again.

Divide dough into 3, 6, or 9 even parts, and braid into 1 large, 2 medium, or 3 small loaves. Can be placed in an oiled loaf pan or on oiled or parchment covered baking pan. Cover and allow to rise until doubled.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix egg yolk, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tbsp. water until sugar is dissolved. Gently brush mixture on top of loaves. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove, and recoat with egg mixture, adding poppy or sesame seed at this time. Continue baking for another 20-30 minutes, until all are evenly browned and sound hollow when tapped.

Posted by Maxine in RI
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A

Challah Sticks (D)
Source: Oprah Magazine Jan 2002
Yield: 18 sticks

1 loaf challah, crust removed
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Cut bread lengthwise into 1/2" thick slices, then lay slices flat and cut into 1/2" wide lengths, about 7" to 8" long.

Lay on a baking sheet lined with foil and brush bread with butter.

Combine all other ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle carefully onto bread, pressing slightly into bread so mixture sticks.

Bake 7-8 minutes, then turn over and toast and additional 4-5 minutes, until sticks are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature with salads, soups or creamy dips.

Posted by Raquel Schnitzer
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A

For these and other recipes, go to the Jewish Food Mailing List Archive.

For more information about the Jewish Food Mailing list, or questions about the recipes in these columns, send an e-mail to jewishfood-list@ujc.org.