Why do we prepare a round challah for the Jewish New Year? When the holiday approaches, the month of Elul is a time of reflection on our past year and the beginning of teshuvah, or repentance. We prepare ourselves to reflect, repent, and ask for forgiveness. There’s something wonderfully therapeutic about it.
And like the Passover seder when there are specific foods to enjoy as a meaningful part of the holiday, Rosh Hashanah is no different: We dip apples in honey for a sweet new year, we say a blessing over a new fruit, we might put out the head of a fish on our table for prosperity and abundance, and we enjoy sweet, round challah.
There are many explanations about the significance of a round challah. The circular nature of our year and seasons, or how a round challah resembles a crown, thus crowning god the king on the New Year. And there is also another explanation, which that it is a way to distinguish the already sacred challah as something even more special and distinctive for the New Year. How is this night different from all others? Sweetness and fluidity and hope for the coming year.
- 2 T dry yeast
- 2 C warm water
- ½ C honey
- ½ C grapeseed oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ C sugar
- 2 T kosher salt (coarse)
- 6 C (approximately) flour
- Egg wash: 1 egg and 1 T water
- Mix dry yeast and warm water in a small bowl and add a pinch of sugar.
- In a separate small bowl add and mix eggs, honey, grapeseed oil.
- In a large bowl mix 3 C flour, salt, and sugar.
- Add the yeast and water to the large bowl of dry ingredients, and mix.
- Then add the second bowl of eggs, honey, and oil, and mix.
- Gradually add flour until dough forms a ball and kneed for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel.
- Let rise (approximately 2 hours).
- Punch down, and let rise again (one hour).
- Take dough and kneed and form challah.
- There are various ways to braid the challah.
- In this photo, I made a 4-strand challah.
- I formed 4 strands with 2 horizontal and 2 vertical, starting with a weave, and then crossed the ends, clockwork, then counter-clock, tucking the ends underneath to form a nice round challah.
- Allow the challah to rise at least one hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 375.
- Make an egg wash with one egg and 1 T water, brush the challah, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake until challah is golden brown.
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Looks delicious !!
Thank you