Tuesday Tutorial- Challah!

It’s funny, the kind of food you fall in love with. I grew up in a pretty Christian neighbourhood, but not too far away was a big Jewish area, and that always had a strong pull for me. Early Sunday mornings were spent buying bagels, and words do not begin to describe my love of lox. But it wasn’t until high school, when I became friends with a Jewish girl and started being invited regularly to Sabbath dinners when I really started to appreciate the food of that culture.

I don’t ever eat Jewish food now, because there pretty much are no Jewish people in Vancouver.

I mean, there are a few. But it’s slim pickings.

Which is why I found myself on a hot summer day making challah.

Oh challah.

Challah is brioches sister, the prettier sister.

The main difference is that there is no dairy in challah, instead the eggy dough has olive oil added to it, instead of butter- this keeps it Kosher, but as I don’t keep Kosher (as I’m not Jewish) I slather butter on mine once it’s cooked.

This will also make the best damn French toast you have ever had.

Challah Tutorial

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 1/2 tbsp Dry Yeast

1 3/4 cup Luke Warm Water

1 tbsp Honey

3/4 cup Olive Oil

5 Eggs

1 tbsp Salt

7-9 cups AP Flour

1/4 cup Sesame or Poppy Seeds (optional)

In a large bowl mix together the yeast, water and honey. You can also do this in the bowl of a standing mixer.

When it starts to get foamy add in the oil and 4 eggs, stir to combine.

Slowly add in the flour.

I only needed 7 cups, but you may need more. Once the flour is combined, begin to knead.

If you use you’re Kitchenaid it may be a bit much for your machine- I am lazy and didn’t want to knead it, so I split the dough in two and did it that way.  

I drank a glass of wine. 

Put the dough in a greased bowl. Let is rise for an hour, then punch it down, and let is rise for another half hour. 

Divide the dough into two portions. You can make them into loaves, braided loaves, buns (the best hamburger buns!). 

I did a 6 piece braid, which is the classic way to make challah. I could try to explain it to you, but I would probably nto do a very good job.  does a great one though- at about 2;12 the braiding part of the tutorial starts. 

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Mix together your remaining egg with a pinch of salt. Brush it on the top of your loaf. Allow it to sit for another 20 minutes, and then brush again. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds or poppy seeds, if using. 

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and it feels hollow when you tap it. 

Allow to cool completely before slicing into it!

Sunday Salads- Sesame Soba Salad with Cucumber and Kale

Sometimes I make something and I just know I have to tell you about it right away. I need you to know how great it is, I need to tell you now.

Sometimes I make something, and I tinker around with it. I change things up, and months after the first time I decide it’s okay to write about it. It’s deserving.

But sometimes, and this is true often more of cooking than baking, that I make something, and it seems so obvious, so easy it would seem almost insulting to you to give it a recipe and put it up here. It’s something that I make so often that I assume everyone does. That it’s just normal and simple and not worthy of the formality of a recipe and a blog post.

But then I realize that everyone cooks different things at home, and something like this soba noodle salad, which I am making variations on almost weekly, might be worth sharing.

Soba noodles are a staple in my house. I make a big bowl and they last a few days, sometimes serving with steak or some fish, but just as often eating it straight up. It’s a quick lunch or dinner, and it feels good when you eat it. I find myself craving it in the summer months, it’s light and cold and filled with things that my body needs.

So I hope that you look at this not just as a recipe, but as a starting point, mix it up, add in things that you have in your fridge, make it spicier, or lime-ier.

You get to decide.

Soba Noodle Salad with Cucumber and Kale

2 bunches of Soba Noodles (they are usually sold in pre-portioned bunches)

1/2 English Cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch Kale, torn into small pieces off the center stem.

4 Green Onions, thinly sliced on a bias.

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1 Lime

1 tsp Siracha or other hot pepper- garlic sauce

1/4 cup Sesame Oil

3 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  

Cook the soba to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water, stirring until the noodles cool. If you don’t stir, they won’t cool down properly. 

Meanwhile, mix together the soy, lime, siracha, and sesame oil. Check for seasoning, adding more of whatever you need until it’s perfect. 

Mix sauce with the noodles then mix in the veggies. 

Serve and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.