Shalom bayit (Hebrew: שלום בית ; lit peace at home) is the Jewish religious concept of domestic harmony and good relations between husband and wife. The term has also come to mean any compromise, big or small, which enhances the relationship and the family as a whole. Truly every home-baked challah should be dubbed a shalom bayit challah. Performing... Read more

This short video depicts the kavanot, intentions, one should have in mind while preparing challah. Visit JLI for a lengthier explanation of the ingredients and their symbolism.    Read More

This week’s goal: Get to the bottom of the freezer and pantry in preperation for Pesach. Throughout the year I pop my leftover bits and pieces of challah into a ziploc and store in the freezer until I have a use for it such as french toast, cholent kugel, or simply bread crumbs. While your excess chometz may differ from mine, I hope this recipe... Read more

Here’s a versatile pizza dough with an added kick. Use this to prepare classic pizza, salad pizzas, or garlic knots. Ingredients: 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 teaspoon honey 1 cup lukewarm water 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1 clove minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon... Read more

Thanks to Paula Shoyer, author of The Kosher Baker for sharing this recipe! I know it sounds strange, but I once had a dessert in a restaurant that combined sweet brioche bread with beer, vanilla ice cream, and caramel sauce and I just loved the combination. For an extra kick, serve with vanilla tofutti ice cream. I made six caramel sauces  before... Read more

We tinkered with our favorite challah dough recipe and came up with a fragrant alternative! Cardamom is an aromatic spice. A member of the ginger family, its the key ingredient in Turkish coffee. Cardamom is the second most expensive spice (the ground version is more reasonable) but a little imparts a lot of flavor. You can pick up the raw sugar at... Read more

Adorn your Shabbos Chanukah Table with festive Challah Gift Boxes. Prepare your favorite challah dough or try ours here. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After the first rise, form 1” balls of dough. Place 4 balls in each greased 4” square pan. Do not allow the dough to a rise. Immediately brush the dough with egg and sprinkle with seeds. Bake for... Read more

We are always in search of unique ideas for serving simple foods at parties. Celebrations at Home featured this clever way to dress up simple crudite and dip. Serve individual servings of carrot and celery sticks in hollowed slices of french baguettes. Only remove the bread centers halfway down, to form a cup so the dip doesn’t spill out. We... Read more

Thanks to Michelle Brodman of Southfield, MI for sharing this recipe! Ingredients: 3 cups flour, can use bread flour or half white and half whole wheat flour 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 3/4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons sugar or honey 1/2 cup water 3 large eggs 3 tablespoons canola oil Egg wash-1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water 1 teaspoon poppy... Read more

Mashed sweet potato adds orange flecks and a subtle sweetness to these soft rolls. Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon dry yeast 1 cup warm soy milk 1 teaspoon sugar 3/4 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed (about one large potato) 1 tablespoon margarine, melted 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 2 large eggs, separated 5 cups flour Directions: Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm... Read more

Thanks to Devorah Drew of New Hempstead, NY for sharing this recipe! What a great way to use leftover challah! Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups non-dairy creamer 3/4 cup canned solid pack pumpkin 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon allspice pinch of ground cloves 2 tablespoon bourbon 5... Read more

If you ever have dinner-block (when you haven’t a clue what to cook for dinner) you may want to head over to What’s for Supper, a Facebook group where members share their dinner menus. This baguette recipe is from French Women Don’t Get Fat and is quite popular on What’s… They’re easy to make and so worth it! Ingredients: 4... Read more

Hot dogs and burgers aren’t the only foods worth grilling. Try some classic Israeli dishes like Schwarma-spiced chicken breasts, or beef kabobs. Serve with Israeli salad, chummus, and tehina. And of course you’ll need pitas to complement the meal. If you’re familiar with baking challah this recipe will be a breeze. Of course these taste... Read more

Thanks to Rochel Leiser from New Hempstead, New York for sharing this recipe! Ingredients: 1 large zucchini 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 teaspoon vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon  cinnamon 1 cup oil 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 cups walnuts, optional 1 cup raisins, optional Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grate the zucchini. Mix... Read more

Thanks to Rochel Leiser from New Hempstead, New York for sharing this recipe! Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups water (room temperature to warm) 1/4 cup oil 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoon salt 5 cups flour 1 tablespoon dry  yeast Directions: Place water, oil, sugar, and salt in bread machine bowl. Add flour on top. Do not mix. Make a small indentation in the flour... Read more

Thanks to Susie Fishbein, author of the Kosher By Design cookbook series, and Artscroll for sharing this recipe! This is not your grandmother’s challah! It’s a new, healthier way to bring warmth to your table, Shabbos or any day, while bringing whole-grain goodness along with it. If you are using a Bosch or Magic Mill mixer, and want to be able... Read more

There is a fairly well know custom to bake Shlissel (“key” in Yiddish) Challah for the Shabbos immediately following Pesach. Doing so is said to be a segulah for parnassa –good livelihood. Some put an actual key inside the Challah dough before baking it, some shape the Challah itself into a key shape, and some place the seeds on top of the Challah... Read more

The following recipe is from Devorah Heller, the famous “Challah Lady”, who gives Challah baking workshops around the world. Ingredients: 5 pounds high gluten flour 5 cups lukewarm ¾ cup sugar (adjust according to your tastes) 3 tablespoons dry yeast or 2 ounces fresh yeast 3 eggs ½ cup oil 2 tablespoons salt Directions: In a mixer Combine... Read more