Braiding challahs redux

[aaronatthedoublef]

I emailed Ziggy from Deli Men and he pointed me to Wise Sons for the challah braided at the end. I emailed Wise Sons and Evan responded (these folks are very nice and very generous with their time) pointed me to this video.

After watching this and the end of Deli Men I've realized what they do is start with three strands and make them really thin in the middle where they cross them over. Then they fold them into six strands and follow the pattern in the video above for a six strand braid. The key different here is that the ends they start from are not six strands pressed together. Also you only need to role three strands per loaf not six.

I'll be working on this over the next couple of weeks.

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[Mike Nolan]

I watched that segment of Deli Man about a dozen times one evening, and I had figured out the part about thinning the center of 3 strands and pinching them together to essentially make six strands for braiding, with one end already pinched down. I'll have to watch the video you just posted a link to and see if I can duplicate it with my macrame practice strands, I'm not sure the one in the film is the same as the classic 6 strand braid.

From what I've heard from people who live in SF, Wise Brothers is a fantastic place. I think I was there once, some years ago, when I took a meandering walk from the Moscone Center back to my hotel near Union Square. (At least the pix on the web look familiar.)

[Mike Nolan]

Well, I've watched the video about 6 times, done it twice with my macrame practice strands, so I think I'm going to try a six-strand braid on the semolina bread I make tomorrow.

I'm still tweaking the BBGA recipe, but it's getting REAL close to the bread at McGinnis Sisters in Pittsburgh!

[Mike Nolan]

I messed up the 6 strand braid, unwound it as far as I could, and redid it, but it still wound up a bit mis-shaped, though not badly so. One or more two tries on the recipe and then I'll post it, maybe by then I'll have a picture-perfect loaf too.

I need to have my son bring a couple of loaves from McGinnis Sisters when he comes to visit this summer, so I can comparison-taste. (Of course it isn't a true taste test unless he also brings some of their famous spinach dip, even if it does have garlic in it.)

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