As the sun sets Monday night, those celebrating the Jewish New Year 5755 turn their thoughts to the year that has passed and the one that awaits.
It is the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays, commencing with Rosh Hashanah and culminating with Yom Kippur. Aside from the timeless New Year’s services and songs, seasonal rituals include the theme of sweetness. Such foods as apples, dried fruits and pomegranates are edible symbols of the holiday.
But the most indelible food symbol that dominates the Jewish New Year’s table is the raisin-studded egg bread, or faigele. This enticing bread is a richer rendition of the regular Sabbath challah, and its round form represents the continuity of life. Its additions of extra honey and the raisins exemplify the holiday theme.
According to Freda Reider in “The Hallah Book,” (KTAV, 1987) the roots of faigele (Yiddish for “little bird”) travel back as far as the 18th Century in Ukraine. In days long past, some Jewish bakers used to top the holiday challah with a bird’s head made of additional dough, with two raisins for eyes.
“The symbolism (of the bird) . . . is, may our sins be carried away by the bird, and may she fly with our prayers for salvation straight up to God,” Reider wrote.
Bakery evolution eventually saw the spiral challah divest itself of the little bird of dough, but the name faigele remains. The turban-shaped breads fill Jewish bakery shelves for the two first days of the holiday, sometimes reappearing around Yom Kippur, as people offer the bread as part of the “break-the-fast” Yom Kippur menu as well.
Store-bought breads are fine, but a homemade New Year’s challah, made by hand or with a bread machine, is beyond compare. Bread machines are ideal for producing batches of challah dough, which is then easily formed into the familiar round bread or regular challah braid.
You also can make the dough in the machine, form it and refrigerate it until the next day. Allow the bread to warm (it will rise as it comes to room temperature) and bake it just a couple of hours before you need it. Bake it early in the day, and you have a fragrant, fresh holiday loaf just in time for the end of services.
Homemade challah is extra rich and golden, almost velvety in texture. Slices of the bread are the perfect accompaniment to a golden bowl of shimmering honey. Leftovers make great French toast.
NEW YEAR’S BREAD MACHINE CHALLAH
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Rising time: Variable by machine type
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: One loaf
Though mixing and kneading are handled by a bread machine, the braiding still is done by hand. The recipe makes a large loaf; if your bread machine only handles 1-pound loaves, cut the ingredients in half.
1 cup each: raisins, hot water, cool water
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup each: honey, vegetable oil
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Sesame seeds, optional
1. Soak raisins in hot water until plump; drain well and blot dry. Set aside until needed.
2. Place cool water, salt, sugar, eggs, yolks, honey and oil and all but 1/2 cup of the flour into the bread machine’s pan in the order suggested by manufacturer. Put on “dough” cycle. Add more flour as dough forms into a ball and seems wet enough to call for remaining flour (usually it needs all of the flour but holding some back until a bit later, as the dough matures through kneading, results in a better dough. Note that on humid days the recipe will take a larger amount of flour. This is normal).
3. Add raisins once the dough is formed but with some kneading time left to incorporate them. If your machine cannot do this, allow it to complete its dough cycle. Remove to a floured board and simply press the raisins in.
4. Divide dough into thirds and braid. Form braid into a circle and pinch ends together. Or follow directions in following recipe for a turban shape. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and carefully transfer braid to sheet. Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle on sesame seeds, if using.
5. Let rise in a warm spot until loaf is doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until braid is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR’S FAIGELE (HONEY RAISIN CHALLAH)
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Rising time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 loaves
The new quick-rising yeast makes this fast and easy. You can also start the night before to break up the work and anticipate fresh, hot bread for the festive meal.
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teapoons quick-rising dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
7 to 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Sesame seeds for top of loaf
1. Soak raisins in 1 cup of the water until plump; drain well and blot dry. Set aside.
2. Mix remaining 1 1/2 cups water, yeast, salt and honey in large bowl. Add oil, eggs, egg yolks and all but 1 cup of the flour. Stir to form a soft dough. If it is too sticky, add remaining flour, several tablespoons at a time, until proper texture is reached. Transfer to a floured board; knead until dough is smooth, supple and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Let dough rest 10 minutes, then knead or press raisins evenly into the dough.
3. Place dough in a large bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rest 20 minutes. (Or, it can be placed in a jumbo plastic food bag, sealed and refrigerated overnight. To bake, punch down the dough and continue as follows.)
4. Divide dough in half. For faigele or turban-shaped bread, roll each section into a 12- to 14-inch rope that is slightly thicker at one end. Coil the rope, starting with the thicker end at the center, tucking the end in at the top to seal. Repeat with remaining rope. Or, divide each half into thirds and braid as a challah.
5. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Transfer loaves to sheet. Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle on sesame seeds. Let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes. (Only part of the rising occurs outside the oven; further rising will take place in the oven.)
6. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until bread is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Shaping challah
Making a round challah is not difficult but it helps to know the technique.
For years, I attempted to create the turban shape by coiling the entire length of challah dough in overlapping circles, but the weight of the layers collapsed the bread or the coils merged into each other and couldn’t be distinguished after baking.
A recent and brief apprenticeship at a Jewish bakery revealed the secret. Form the dough into a tapered rope 18 inches long. With one hand, lift the narrower end and wind the entire length around the thicker end of the strand so that this part becomes the center of the challah. Tuck the tip under the coil and press down to seal it. Place on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal, brush with egg wash and bake as the recipe instructs.
As an alternative, you can form a very festive, round challah simply by making the usual three-strand braid, then pinching the ends of the braid together. Bake in a cornmeal-dusted, 10-inch springform pan or any high-sided, round pan. As the bread rises and bakes, it forms a spectacular “crown” of challah that is the focus of the New Year’s table.
