The Chosen by Chaim Potok
What can I say? I love this book. A few years ago I recommended it at a book club. The following discussion surrounding this book was fascinating, both for the content and lack… there of. And that’s ok. Not everyone has to love it. But let me tell you a few things I find so powerful about this book.
I have Jewish friends and family and deeply respect the generational commitment to the Divine and their sacred traditions to honor Him. Reading about Judaism is helpful, but reading a story with nuance and feeling provides an emotional perspective. The Chosen includes some beautiful and challenging aspects of the Hasidic subgroup, which dominates the lives of Danny Saunders and his family, subsequently shaping the story.
Relationships are directly impacted by our beliefs and how our lives and experiences have influenced those beliefs, religious or not. The strained ties between Danny and his father and how they communicate (or don’t communicate) is a frequent theme, especially in contrast with the easy and open connection between Reuven and his father. This also holds true, but in stark relief, in the close bond between Danny and Reuven and how their dual innocence and established variations on faith pull them together. We can be friends with people who don’t believe everything we believe! Pretty cool concept, huh?
So enter Challah, a pretty universal, and universally delectable, symbol of Jewish tradition. These braids of egg and honey laden dough bake into a gorgeous pile of shiny, fluffy goodness. Although I’m not Jewish, I do often end up baking up one of these on a Friday. This makes a good-sized loaf so my suggestion on leftovers is a big pile of Sunday Challah french toast!
Challah
Course: Bread, DinnerCuisine: JewishDifficulty: Beginner1
Large Loaf30
minutes35
minutes3
minutes1
hour10
minutesA tender braided sweet loaf.
Ingredients
1 cup warm water, 8 fl ounces
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup honey, 2 fl oz
550 grams flour, about 4 1/2 cups
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt for an egg wash
3 tablespoons poppy seeds or sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Directions
- Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the yeast and teaspoon of sugar. Swirl the bowl a bit to mix the yeast. Let the mixture froth, 5-10 minutes.
- With the dough hook fitted, mix in half the flour into the yeast mixture. Add in the eggs, yolk, salt, oil, and honey. (tip: use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and estimate the 3 tablespoons of oil in the cup. Then use the same cup for the honey, which will come out easily because of the oil.)
- Continue adding in the remaining flour then let the dough hook knead the dough for 7-8 minutes, until the dough is silky smooth and pulls away from the sides while still sticking to the bottom.
- Oil a clean bowl and place the dough in, turning once to coat. Cover the dough with a damp dish towel and let rise to double, 1-2 hours.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 20 inch rope, tapering each end. Lay the ropes out in parallel with a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet beneath them. Join the ends together on one side and braid the ropes. Once you reach the end of your rope(s), pinch the tapered end together and tuck each side under the loaf to create a finished look. See note 1.
- Cover the loaf with a large plastic bag and let it rise until almost doubled, 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the egg wash over the loaf and try to avoid letting too much drip down onto the bottom of the pan. (You won’t use all the egg wash for the bread.) Sprinkle seeds on the loaf, if using.
- Bake the loaf for 20 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and brush with egg wash again, getting the nooks and crannies that popped up from the baking so far. Return the bread to the oven and bake for another 10-20 minutes until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 185 degrees.
- Let the bread rest on the pan for a few minutes before carefully moving it to a cooling rack with a large spatula to cool completely.
Notes
- Note 1: If you don’t have much experience plaiting dough, here is a brilliant and thorough tutorial that I follow, especially if I’m trying more than three strands. She includes lots of pictures, too!
This recipe is adapted from Tori Avey’s blog post on Challah.