Chocolate chip challah on its own is delicious and doesn’t need much other than a little vanilla and cinnamon. But it’s also great when you make double chocolate challah with a chocolate dough or peanut butter and crumb topping. But this High Holiday season I wanted something that was simple, sophisticated and maybe just a little fancy all at the same time.

If you’ve never made challah rolls, they are so easy. In fact sometimes I find them even easier than braiding a regular challah. I suggest using a kitchen scale to measure 2.5-3 oz pieces so the rolls are as uniform as possible. By measuring your rolls, you also ensure they will also bake evenly. Here is how I make mine:

If citrus isn’t your thing just top with a sprinkle of thick sea salt or substitute with a cinnamon sugar topping. This can also be made with dried cherries instead of cranberries, another favorite combination.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post Chocolate Cranberry Challah Rolls with Citrus Sugar appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

But actually, the rainbow holds significance for Jews because of the story of Noah. Some families have even adopted the custom of baking a rainbow challah for Shabbat the week that parsha Noah is read. So there you have it – Jews were most certainly the catalyst for the rainbow food trends.

Watch below to learn how to make your own rainbow challah and check out this classic challah recipe from Claudia Roden if you don’t have a beloved recipe that you regularly use. Want to get those super vibrant colors? I like using Wilton gel colors which you can get at a baking supply store, a craft store or online.

The post How to Make Rainbow Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Braiding challah can seem complicated, and it definitely takes practice to create a beautiful final product. But that’s precisely why we have created this how-to video, to help you conquer the art of braiding challah for any occasion.

In the video above you will see how to braid a simple three strand challah, a knotted roll (great for Shabbat lunch sandwiches, or things like pulled brisket sandwiches for football-viewing), a six strand challah (perhaps one of the most coveted and complicated braiding techniques to master) and a unique six strand “basket weave” round challah that will be the centerpiece of any holiday celebration.

You can use any challah recipe you like with these techniques. Here are a few of our favorites:

Basic challah

Za’atar and garlic challah

Honey whole wheat challah

Bread machine challah

Pumpkin challah

The post How to Braid Challah for Shabbat, Holidays or Anytime appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Challahs these days are a changin’: they are topped with sprinkles, stuffed with pastrami or flavored with gourmet seasonal ingredients like ramps. They are unique. And while they all hold firm to their traditional braided bread roots, they are definitely a new breed of bread, not braided cake. So to make bread that is cake but still challah, I had to do my research. I looked at countless recipes…everything was red food coloring, cocoa powder, buttermilk, vanilla…all things that go great in a CAKE but, in challah dough? Not gonna work. So what do you do when you are a mommy on a mission but can’t figure out how to get your project to the finish line? You cheat.

Turns out Amazon sells bakery emulsions, which are concentrated flavor for baking that add depth without requiring excess liquid. They come in every flavor under the sun, including Red Velvet Cake. One click and two days later I had the bottle in my hands. I carefully opened it, and holy mother of cake balls, it smelled fantastic. Like cake in a bottle. Aside from adding the emulsion, I made two changes to my basic challah recipe: I removed the eggs, figuring all those yolks might affect the good red color, then replaced them with an additional tablespoon of oil and water; I also added 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar to keep the dough’s consistency in check but add a hint of vanilla.

I didn’t want to make the challah too cakey, though I did want to kick it up a notch in terms of its red velvet cake flavor.

It turns out Duncan Hines makes red velvet cake mix. A little margarine, a little vanilla, a little cake mix and voila! An actual red velvet cake crumb topping.  Add a simple glaze to the top because glaze is awesome and, believe it or not, you have a red velvet cake that is a challah.

It looked and tasted amazing, but most amazing of all was my little girl’s face when she saw her special birthday challah.  All the work and planning was totally worth it…until my son requested a Jello Challah for his birthday.

Red Velvet Cake Challah

The post Red Velvet Cake Challah Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

This past autumn, Liz Alpern of The Gefilteria said she would like to come over and bake challah with me. Oh, twist my arm. I was very excited and told her we could create a new flavor, anything she wanted. She said she would love to do something “super Ashkenazy,” and so I mentioned I had always wanted to try a marbled rye challah. And so that is just what we did.

I did some research, in fact, a lot of research, and I was shocked and somewhat confused by all the methods and recipes for rye bread. I came across this recipe which included a starter, a method I really wanted to try. Starters, also known as “mother dough,” are probably most well known in sourdough breads. The fermentation of the flour and yeast for an extended amount of time is what gives it a distinct, sour taste.Some mother doughs can even be hundreds of years old.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to wait years or even weeks for the starter in this recipe to develop. The starter for this challah sits just overnight, and while it may seem weird or even gross, it adds a great depth of flavor and slight tang to this challah.

Can you skip this step? Yes absolutely. If you forget to make it the night before, or if it just seems too daunting, don’t worry about it. I tried it both ways, and they were both delicious. Nevertheless, if you are up for the extra step, the starter does add a special depth of flavor.

I’ve always loved deli sandwiches on challah bread, and so this hybrid challah is truly the ideal vessel for some pastrami and mustard.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post Marbled Rye Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

I don’t make my own za’atar, but rather buy it in bulk whenever I am in Israel. You can either buy za’atar at a Middle Eastern or specialty spice store, or also make your own. Za’atar is traditionally made with a mix of oregano, sesame seeds, sumac and salt. I actually chose to add extra sumac in this recipe because the za’atar mix I bought didn’t have a strong flavor, but you can leave that out if you prefer.

This challah has a lovely, subtle flavor that is perfect with a savory meal. I would serve this challah with hummus, tahini and baba ganouj for a lovely start to Shabbat dinner.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post Savory Za’atar Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

So I decided it was high time to put all that challah to delicious good use, beyond just bread pudding (delicious) and french toast on Sunday (the perfect breakfast).

Here are a variety of ideas for how to use up those leftover morsels that may actually get you excited about all those bags of bread in the freezer.

Berry Cream Cheese Stuffed Challah French Toast

Challah Panzanella Salad with Butternut Squash, Dates and Hazelnuts from Food52

French Onion Soup with Challah and Munster Cheese

Baked French Toast

Cheesy Garlic Challah Toast

Challah Croutons from The Domesticated Wolf

Challah Bread Crumbs from Granoladox

Chocolate-Chocolate Bread Pudding

Mushroom Challah Stuffing from Amy Kritzer

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly recipe newsletter!

The post Beyond French Toast: Recipes for Leftover Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

But I guess it should come as no shock: challah wrapped around some brie is delicious, decadent and a great party appetizer, whether it’s for New Year’s Eve, an evening with friends and a case of wine or Shavuot.

Here are a few tips for executing this recipe.

• Leave the brie in the fridge until the very last moment before ready to bake.
• Don’t worry that the brie will get too gooey – some will likely leak out, and that’s just part of the messy delicious fun.
• Experiment with different jams or chutneys for fun flavor combinations. Because it was fall and I had leftover cranberry sauce, that’s what I used. But you could also use a spicy pepper jelly, a mango chutney, raspberry jam, apple butter or fig jam.
• You can really use any plain challah recipe you like for this. My recipe should be split into two and can be made into two baked bries for a large party, or you can make one baked brie and one regular challah.

Challah Baked Brie

The post Challah Baked Brie Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

You can use this method to make cinnamon rolls using any flavor or recipe of challah you like. Just roll out your dough, schmear it with softened butter (or margarine), cinnamon sugar and roll it up to bake.

It’s gooey, spicy and the pumpkin flavor is delightful but not overwhelming. If you are looking for a brighter orange color, you could actually replace the pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree. The taste and consistency will be almost identical.

I recommend serving these sweet rolls with a nice cup of tea or coffee, a big comfy chair and relaxing dose of foliage watching.

The post Pumpkin Challah Cinnamon Rolls Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

My dear friend Danielle recently suggested I should try my hand at mashing up my classic challah with a coffee cake. I nodded my head in enthusiastic agreement and got to work right away.

When my dad tasted the new flavor he said, “hmmm – tasted just like Entenmann’s!” I can’t think of a better compliment. Yes, even my daughter enjoyed the new flavor, but first she needed to snap a few shots.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post Coffee Cake Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

What are challah dogs you might be wondering? Well it’s my answer to the bagel dog, or the pretzel dog. And one of the great things about this recipe is you can use any challah recipe you prefer. The key is rolling your challah into roughly 3-oz-size pieces and then snaking it around the hot dogs. I brush them simply with a beaten egg before adding toppings.

And the challah dogs are all about fun toppings. I like making an “everything bagel” topping by combining 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, 1 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1 Tbsp dried garlic (whole pieces, not garlic powder), 1 Tbsp dried onion (whole pieces, not onion powder) and ½ Tbsp thick sea salt and then sprinkling it on top.

You can also top with poppy seeds, black sesame seeds or even caraway seeds.

These are such a fun appetizer for your summer parties, Shabbat dinners, game-watching nights or even kids’ birthday parties. Make a big batch and don’t count on leftovers. Can you make them and reheat them? Yes, actually, you can. They are always better immediately out of the oven, but I have also served them several hours later either reheated or at room temperature.

Challah Hot Dogs

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Print Recipe

A guaranteed crowd pleaser, these challah dogs will take any party to the next level.

• Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 14-16 challah dogs

Ingredients

Units USM

For the everything bagel mix (optional):

• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 Tbsp dried garlic (whole pieces, not garlic powder)
• 1 Tbsp dried onion (whole pieces, not onion powder)
• ½ Tbsp thick sea salt

For the challah dough:

• 1 ½ Tbsp dry active yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
• 4 ½–5 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour (preferably King Arthur flour)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ Tbsp salt
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs

To assemble:

• 2 packages kosher hot dogs
• 1 egg + 1 tsp water
• 3–5 Tbsp everything bagel mix or sesame seeds, poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, caraway seeds and/or thick sea salt (optional)
• mustard, to serve (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Make your challah dough: In a small bowl, place yeast, 1 tsp sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1½ cups flour, salt and ¾ cup sugar. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add another 1 cup of flour and eggs and mix until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.
4. Add another 1 ½- 2 cups of flour, mixing thoroughly and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface.
5. Knead remaining ½ cup flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 5 minutes (or however long your hands will last).
6. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise at least around 3 hours, punching down at least once if possible.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. After dough has risen, start cutting it into 3 oz pieces (I like using a small digital scale for this task). Wrap dough around each hot dog, pinching ends under and placing on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or slipat baking mats.
9. Whisk 1 egg with 1 tsp water and brush each challah dog with egg wash. Top with sesame seeds poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, thick sea salt and/or caraway seeds, if desired.
10. Bake for 18 minutes, or until puffy and golden all over.
11. Serve warm with mustard.

• Author: Shannon Sarna
• Prep Time: 25 + 3 hours rising time
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Holiday

The post Challah Hot Dogs appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

I came home on a Thursday night with these beautiful ramps but no plan. As I was putting my dough in the bread maker (I have a love affair with making challah in the bread machine) I realized the ramps would create a chimichurri perfect for a spring-inspired stuffed challah.

It is rare that I get to have my parents come for Shabbat so it was an extra pleasure to share this with them. They typically prefer plain challah but both commented on what a great addition this challah was to the spring table. Not only was this challah beautiful with streaks of green throughout, but it was incredibly soft and flavorful. And the smell was just outrageous.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post Ramp Chimichurri Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

While I enjoyed many delicious eats over my travels to the city, the first time I tasted a King Cake was three years ago, just a few months before our daughter was born. I was seven and a half months pregnant, waddling around Mardi Gras with an enormous protruding stomach, enjoying every moment, especially all the food. To welcome us to the Mardi Gras festivities, our dear friend Melanie arrived with a beautiful, colorful King Cake from Cake Cafe. This was no ordinary King Cake – it was stuffed with goat cheese and apples, and it was one of the best treats I have ever enjoyed. So much so that each year since, my husband longs to have another one, but there is just nothing comparable in the New York area.

For those not familiar with a King Cake, it is a Christian tradition that marks Kings Day (when the three kings brought gifts to baby Jesus) and so a small baby Jesus is traditionally baked inside a King Cake. It also marks the coming of Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, when it’s commnon to encounter many varieties of King Cake throughout the city between early January and Mardi Gras itself.

A King Cake should also not be confused with The King’s Cake, or a galette des rois, a beautiful French pastry that, to me, tastes like an enormous, buttery almond croissant. You may see it in your local bakery topped literally with a crown. It is absolutely delicious as well, but different from a King Cake. A King Cake in its modern form tastes most closely to a cheese danish or Entenmann’s coffee cake.

So what is a challah queen like me supposed to do with a love of King Cake, but no quality one available? Make a king cake challah of course.

I flavored the dough with some traditional king cake flavors, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. But the most fun parts of this challah creation are the icing and the colorful sprinkles. Gold, purple and green are the colors of Mardi Gras, and are the distinguishing factor between merely a round cheese danish, and a King Cake for Mardi Gras.

I didn’t bake a baby Jesus in the challah of course, but it would be perfect with a cup of coffee in the late afternoon. Or for breakfast, who am I to judge how you start your day? And while it won’t ever be the same as the amazing version from our time in New Orleans, at least it brought back some fond memories of New Orleans and our dear friends who welcome us back time and time again.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post King Cake Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Bread puddings are often sweet and served for dessert; while stuffing is usually savory and served as a side dish. But I wanted to sort of combine both these concepts and do something a bit different – a savory, dairy bread pudding perfect to serve for breakfast or brunch! And thus, my Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding with Goat Cheese and Mushrooms was born!

Don’t like mushrooms? Use spinach or peppers instead.Serve with scrambled eggs and some fruit for a perfect, rounded breakfast.

The post Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Savory Challahs

Homemade Challah Pretzel Buns

Challah rolls just got a whole lot better.

Summer Pesto and Gruyere Stuffed Challah

This challah is a delicious meal all on its own!

Pastrami Sandwich Challah

Yes, you can bake meat into your challah to create this Jewish deli-inspired loaf.

Dill Pickle Challah

Why should pastrami be the only deli ingredient in your challah? The fresh dill on top makes this loaf especially beautiful.

Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Challah

What’s not to love?

Butternut Squash and Sage Challah

A lovely, autumnal loaf.

Scallion Pancake Challah

Challah with a Chinese twist, from celebrity chef Molly Yeh.

Savory Za’atar Challah

The classic Middle Eastern spice pairs beautifully with challah.

Ramp Chimichurri Challah

A show-stopper challah perfect for spring.

Sweet Challahs

 Chocolate Babka Challah

Your favorite dessert meets your favorite bread.

Unicorn Challah

Sweet, whimsical, and pastel colored — with frosting and sprinkles, of course!

Gingersnap and Apple Challah

Germanic-inspired winter flavors combine for a warm, richly-spiced loaf.

Chocolate Cranberry Challah Rolls with Citrus Sugar

Fall flavors and chocolate chips together!

Fruit Cake Challah

Pistachios, golden raisins, and cranberries stud this sweet, colorful challah.

Coffee Cake Challah

Tastes just like Entenmann’s.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Challah

For lovers of this classic flavor combination.

Tumeric Tahini Challah

This recipe makes a beautiful golden loaf with a Middle Eastern flavor profile.

Pull-Apart Challah Stuffed with Cheese and Guava

Challah with Cuban flair!

Double Chocolate Chip Challah

This one, with chocolate dough and chocolate chips, is for the chocoholics.

Cranberry Sauce Stuffed Challah

Perfect for the Shabbat after Thanksgiving!

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Challah

Complete with gooey marshmallows melted on top.

Challahs for Special Diets

 Vegan Challah

No need for honey or eggs, just a maple syrup glaze!

Gluten-Free Challah

Gluten-free bread dough is similar in texture to cake batter, so it cannot be braided. This challah is baked in a pan shaped like a braided loaf to give it that classic look.

Honey Whole Wheat Challah

A little healthier, still totally delicious.

Fun Seasonal Challahs

 12 Sweet Challahs for the Jewish New Year

Rosh Hashanah is known for challah — specifically, round-shaped challah. Here are 12 amazing ideas to start your year of challah-eating off right, from balsamic apple date challah to chocolate walnut challah.

Turkey-Shaped Challah for Thanksgiving

You and your guests will enjoy gobbling this!

Crown-Shaped Poppyseed-Stuffed Challah for Purim

Honor both Queen Esther and the classic hamantaschen filling with this beautiful challah.

Sweet Russian Purim Challah

The Russian take on Purim challah includes dried fruit, citrus peel, and a powdered sugar frosting.

Shlissel Challah for the Shabbat after Passover

Did you know there’s a Jewish tradition of baking a key into your challah, or baking your challah into the shape of a key for the Shabbat following Passover?

Rainbow Challah

Perfect for Parashat Noach or pride month.

Sign up for My Jewish Learning’s RECHARGE, a weekly email with a collection of Shabbat readings and more to enhance your day of rest experience.

The post 30 Amazing Challah Recipes appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

This challah French toast recipe is warm and cozy, sweet and spicy, and the perfect pick-me-up for weekends when you just want to hide under the covers.

Challah French Toast with Chai Spices

The post Challah French Toast with Chai Spices Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Well, what is a gal like me to do? Create a dill pickle challah of course.

The dill pickle-ness of this recipe is subtle, and while it does use pickle juice in the dough, it’s the topping of garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh dill, and sea salt that really shines.

This savory challah is the perfect vehicle for some sliced deli meats like corned beef, pastrami, turkey, or even some tongue.

Dill Pickle Challah

The post Dill Pickle Challah Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Stuffing a challah with guava and cheese may sound sacrilege to some, but in my mind, it makes perfect sense. I am pretty vocal about my opinion that the hands-down best store-bought challah in my home city can only be found at our local Cuban bakery. Of course, this isn’t their specialty–a flaky and buttery guava and cheese pastry, called a “refugee,” seemingly for the strong memories of the motherland it invokes, wins that title. But if this bakery’s challah married its world-famous guava and cheese pastry, I imagine their babies would look something like my fun creation.

The pillowy pockets of challah stuffed with sweet-as-candy guava paste and velvety cream cheese pull apart into individual servings of the most decadent roll of bread you can imagine. This is one of those special recipes to pull out for guests!

The post Pull-Apart Challah Stuffed with Cheese and Guava Recipe appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

My mom really got into holidays – all holidays – whether it was Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas, she was ready with some tacky earrings, decorative salt shakers and surely an ugly sweater or two as well. She loved Christmas music, and from early December through New Year’s we would be subjected to a rotation of possibly the two worst Christmas albums ever made: Johnny Matthis and Amy Grant. I cringe just thinking about those CDs of hers.

Nevertheless, the season is bittersweet as I balance my desire to connect to these memories of my mother, participate in some kind of festive activities while maintaining the strong Jewish identity of my family. I admittedly tread a fine line: baking holiday cookies every year for my husband’s office, (though not in red or green or Santa shapes) listening to The Nutcracker with my daughter and combining the flavors of chocolate and peppermint in various forms to pay homage to the season. After all, should Christians really get to drink all the skinny peppermint mochas at Starbucks!?

Two years ago I started making a chocolate peppermint bundt cake that my husband and I absolutely adored. And while I have been whipping up lots of batches of peppermint hot cocoa for my little one, I wanted to take these flavors to the next level by adding them to, what else: challah.

What makes this challah so special is not only the deep dark chocolate dough, or the melty,chocolate chips inside, but also the super gooey marshmallows dotting the top. When my daughter spotted the finished product her eyes lit up and she wanted to break into the chocolaty masterpiece right away. Who am I to say no, especially when it makes for such an adorable picture. And yes, she is wearing her ballet costume because she had been practicing her Nutcracker dance moves.

It may not be overtly Christmas-y, nor is it exactly what I did with my mother. But somehow creating something new, that touches upon the joy and spirit of the holiday season, brings me comfort, connects me to my past and allows me to create new memories for my family.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post Peppermint Hot Cocoa Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Admittedly I was a bit nervous to see how the addition of butternut squash would affect the challah. I have made pumpkin challah many times, but never before had I added butternut squash.  I am happy to report that not only is consistency of this dough just perfect, but the color is beautiful and the taste even more incredible.

You can swap out fresh sage for dried sage, but I really enjoyed the flecks of sage leaves throughout the challah dough, and the addition of some fresh chopped sage on top along with thick sea salt really makes this bread even more special. This challah would also translate for a wonderful savory stuffing.

Love Jewish food? Sign up for our weekly Nosher recipe newsletter!

The post Butternut Squash and Sage Challah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.