Rosh Hashanah foods are often sweet to symbolize our hope that the coming year be a sweet one. In fact, one tradition is to begin Rosh Hashanah dinner with everyone dipping slices of apple into honey to usher in a year full of sweetness.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown on September 13. Rosh Hashanah is a festive occasion, as most New Year celebrations tend to be. Many Jewish families will mark the occasion with a special holiday dinner that includes a round challah.
Rosh Hashanah foods are often sweet to symbolize our hope that the coming year be a sweet one. In fact, one tradition is to begin Rosh Hashanah dinner with everyone dipping slices of apple into honey to usher in a year full of sweetness.
Another important Rosh Hashanah food tradition is to serve food that is round. For example, the traditional Jewish Sabbath bread, challah, is usually oval-shaped. But on Rosh Hashanah, we serve a round challah to symbolize the never-ending cycle of years and seasons.
A good loaf of challah should be rich, sweet and eggy. This kind of challah makes your morning toast crave-worthy and your lunch sandwich as good as your favorite deli creation. As for French toast and bread pudding made with challah? Over-the-top delicious!
The best way to get a truly sweet and rich challah for your holiday table is to make it yourself. Even if you are not a regular bread-baker, this is a very accessible DIY project. The hard work of kneading the dough and letting it rise is a snap in a bread machine with a dough cycle, such as the Breadman 2.5-lb Bakery Pro Bread Machine. If you like raisin challah — and who doesn’t? — use the automatic fruit and nut dispenser to add raisins to your dough at exactly the right moment.
Once your dough is ready, to make a round challah, you can simply roll the dough into a long strand and then twist it up in a spiral. If you want to get fancy, you can make a round, braided challah using the method that I explain in the recipe and demonstrate in the pictures. The results are guaranteed to impress your holiday guests!
To bake, place the braided loaf on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat Non-stick Silicone Baking Mat to ensure that it will not stick. Allow the braided loaf to rise, covered, one more time before baking.
To achieve a rich golden color, be sure to brush the loaf with an egg wash prior to baking. I find that the Architec Expandable Pastry Brush is great for getting the egg wash into all the bumps and corners of the braid.
Display your beautiful loaf on an equally beautiful board such as the J.K. Adams Paddle Serving Board. With proper care, this artisan serving board in hand-sanded maple will last a lifetime and become a treasured heirloom.
Shana tovah! A very happy and healthy new year to all.
Dough:
Egg Wash:
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