Snow-inspired Challah

There’s something about being socked in by a big snow that makes me feel so domestic.  I got up thinking about bread -- homemade bread, challah to be precise.

The only yeast I could find said “Best if used before July 2009.”  Figuring that yeast didn’t just completely stop working on the expiration date, I decided to chance it.



I was surprised to learn my husband had never had the thrill of baking bread.  How could a good Jewish boy have gone through 63 years of life without ever kneading a challah?  So I convinced him to help. 

We shared kneading and then put the dough ball in for the first rising, hoping it would feel inspired to double in size.  And indeed it did, taking on the elasticity characteristic of dough with air in it.



I punched it down and divided it into 4 pieces for braiding.  We each made long ropey pieces which were then woven together.  The scraps went into making a tiny braid to adorn the top.

Another hour rising for a second time.  And then we will wash it with egg yolk and add poppy seeds.



The best part of bread-making is smelling the loaf as it cooks in the oven.  It will take great restraint not to just whip into that challah when it emerges hot from the oven.

Then it’s on to making a turkey breast for dinner.  The plan is to have enough food already made so that when we inevitably lose power, which I imagine will happen at about 15”, we will not starve.