Every Friday, when I knead the dough—I’m not just making bread.
I’m praying.
Every sifted flour, every drizzle of oil, every braid I form—those are my quiet words. Words of home, of memory, of hope.
My mother, Rachel z”l, used to say that challah “knows” what you’re going through.
If you’re tense, it will come out stormy.
If you’re calm, it will be soft as a cloud.
And me? I knead with tears, with Shabbat songs playing in my heart, with a silent prayer for my children, for health, for the future.
Challah and Prayer
The mitzvah of separating challah is one of the three special commandments traditionally given to women, alongside lighting Shabbat candles and family purity.
It connects the ordinary with the sacred.
A raw lump of dough becomes a vessel for soul and light.
Challah itself—with its braid, its shine, its unmistakable Shabbat smell—is a symbol.
Of peace in the home, of abundance, of memory, of belonging.
My Soft, Sweet, and Soulful Shabbat Challah
Based on my mother’s simple, eggless recipe—the kind the heart remembers.
Ingredients (for ~2 kg dough):
- 2 kg flour (bread / white/white spelt)
- 4 tbsp dry yeast
- 8 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 900–1000 ml lukewarm water (gradually, depending on flour type)
For brushing:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sugar or silan (date syrup)
For topping:
- Sesame/poppy seeds / chopped rosemary (a favorite)
Preparation:
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, yeast, and sugar.
- Add water and knead for 2–3 minutes.
- Add salt, then both oils, and knead for 8–10 minutes on medium speed until the dough is soft and elastic.
- Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough inside, oil the top, cover, and let rise for about an hour (until doubled in size).
- Divide the dough as desired:
- Large challah – 200g per strand
- Four-strand challah – 120–140g per strand
- Rolls – 80–100g each
- Cover with a towel and let rest for another 20 minutes.
- Roll into strands, braid the challah, and place on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Brush with the egg wash, sprinkle with toppings, and let rise for another 25–30 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes until golden and fragrant.
And when I take the challahs out of the oven,
I pause.
It’s not just the smell of baking—
It’s the scent of prayer.
These days, when our hearts are heavy—
I pray.
For the soldiers.
For the hostages.
For healing—of body, of spirit, of connection.
I ask for goodness.
That we feel a sense of belonging.
That we merit to build homes filled with compassion, openness, and love.
Like the home I came from—
And the home I now try to give to my children.
Because challah, to me, isn’t just bread.
It’s a soft, golden promise—
for a peaceful Shabbat.
