Moved: Reply To: Braiding challahs

[Mike Nolan]

I suspect that there are many minor variations on the 6 strand pattern and each baker might have his own signature look. The loaves might all look similar to us, but the bakery staff can probably glance at a loaf and know who shaped it.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Looking at the pictures there are definitely subtle differences in shaping. There are also differences in the glazing. One from a bakery called Bien Cuit is very different in appearance. According to their website "bien cuit" means well done and their crusts are dark and caramelized.

But there is also a sameness to them too. I've sent an email to Ziggy. I'll let everyone know if and when he replies.

[Mike Nolan]

I've just watched that segment another 8-10 times, and I think I've almost got the braiding pattern figured out.

Basically it works from the far side in, alternating sides, top right, then top left, then top right. There's a twist that I'm not sure how to do yet, I think it has to do with picking up the next strand cross-handed.

Complicating things is that it is a composite scene, almost certainly from shaping multiple loaves, first it shows the process from the other side of the table, facing the baker, so the strands being grabbed are towards the bottom of the image, then about half way through it switches to looking over the baker's shoulder, so that the strands being grabbed are towards the top of the screen.

I'm going to try it a few times with my macrame practice strands, if I can pick up the pattern then I may have to make Challah this week.

Secrets of a Jewish Baker came today, the 6 strand braid in that book is definitely not the one in Deli Man.

[cwcdesign]

The braids in Challah remind me of Aran sweaters. They used different patterns of cables so that you could identify the fishermen. Sounds like you can identify the baker or bakery by the different braids

[aaronatthedoublef]

I made a six strand. The first half was good with width and height. Then I started stretching the strands to make it longer which was a mistake and made the second half too long and thin.

I also flipped it upside down after 20 minutes of baking and as well as tenting it, to keep the top from browning too much.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I heard back from Ziggy Gruber of Deli Man. The challah we saw braided at the end was not from his deli but from Wise Sons. Mr. Gruber suggests going to - you guessed it - Secrets of a Jewish Baker and that will show how to braid it the way a Jewish deli should.

[Mike Nolan]

If that's the one in the Mission District in San Francisco, I've been there once, some years ago.

BTW, their prices for a braided Challah (Fridays only) are pretty reasonable, under $8.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Not bad. Here in West Hartford they run between $5-$6. In New York at Grand Central they were about $6.50. More competition in NYC...

Wise Sons is in the Mission District.

[Mike Nolan]

I was introduced to Challah by friends in college, and we lived in the Chicago area until 1977, several years of that within a few blocks of several great Jewish delis and bakeries.

I've never seen Challah at the stores here in Nebraska, and neither have the people I've baked it for. I made a two layer Celebration Challah for some dinners my wife's department chair held last fall, after the first one he said he hadn't eaten that much bread at one time in years!

But the nearest Jewish deli or bakery is probably 400 miles away.

[Author]

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