Caramelized Onion Challah

Challah is a traditional egg bread in the European Jewish tradition. It is typically eaten at the meal marking the beginning of the Sabbath, the day of rest, and sometimes at other celebrations. It usually braided to symbolize unity and on Rosh Hashannah it is braided and made into a circle to recall the cycle of the year. Traditionally, challah should not be cut with a knife because it is seen as a form of violence or if it is the Sabbath, work on what ought to be the day of rest. Instead, it is passed around the table family-style, so everyone can grab a chunk. On Rosh Hashannah, it can also be dipped into honey, like apples, to symbolize a sweet new year. This is as I know it though. Each Jewish cultural group, of which there are many, has its own traditions and explanations

Caramelized Onion Challah by Jan Weimer

10 TB chicken fat (schmaltz) or butter
4 cups diced onions
2 1/4 tsp dried yeast
3 TB sugar
2 cups warm water, divided
2 TB kosher (of course) salt
3 large eggs, room temp
4 cups unbleached flour
4 cups bread flour
1 large egg, blended with 1 TB water

Melt 2 TB schmaltz (or butter) in a large pan with a lid over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cover and cook until very soft, about 30 minutes. Uncover and cook until brown, about 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside and cool completely.

Melt 8 TB scmaltz (or butter) and cool to 110F.

Place yeast and sugar in bowl of mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix until yeast is dissolved. Gently mix in remaining 1 1/2 cups water, salt and cooled fat (or butter). Mix in 3 eggs, one at a time. Add flour, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scrap down sides of bowl.

Change to dough hook and knead 20 minutes of until dough is very smooth. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand one to two minutes. Place in a very large oiled bowl (trust me) and cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a cool place to rise until doubled, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

If you don't have a mixer, not a problem. Follow the instructions using a large bowl and a wooden spoon. It takes a considerably larger amount of elbow grease, but dare I say it, your self-satisfaction will also increase accordingly.

Punch dough down and turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead in onions. They are full of trickery and will try to escape but after a few turns, they will bend to your will and incorporate into the dough. Try to make sure that they are evenly scattered throughout. Transfer dough to a very large (no seriously, you will thank me later) clean plastic bag, leaving room for the dough to expand and refrigerate overnight.

Grease a 12" springform pan and line with parchment paper. Heavily flour work surface.

Using floured hands, divide dough into three equal pieces. Flatter each piece into a rectangle and roll each into a four-foot long cylinder. Dough will resist and shrink back to its original size a few times. If it does this, wait a few minutes to let it rest and try again. This may happen a few times. Pinch cylinders together at one end and braid loosely, pinching ends together. Starting at the finished end, coil braid into a circle that will fit your pan. Brush end with egg mixture and press into braid. Transfer to prepared pan and cover with a bath towel. Let rise until doubled and very light, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Place baking stone (or if you don't have one, baking sheet) in the oven. Preheat oven to 375F. Brush bread with egg mixture. Try to do this as evenly as possible. The glaze gilds the bread and when it comes out of the oven, it's very easy to see which parts didn't get the egg wash. Place bread in pan atop the stone (or sheet). Bake 20 minutes. Gently remove bread from pan (careful, this part is tricky). Brush again with the egg wash. Return bread to oven and bake 50 to 55 more minutes or until challah is well browned. If you have a thermometer handy the internal temperature of the bread will be 200F. Cool bread on a wire rack.

Rosh Hashannah and Fall Celebration Dinner

Rosh Hashannah (Head of the Year) begins on Friday, the 22, this year. Rosh Hashannah also marks for me the beginning of fall. I love this time of year, not only does it include my two most favorite holidays, Thanksgiving and Halloween, but it is the world's last burst of energy before it goes to sleep for winter. I've always felt that fall is a much more reasonable time to begin a new year. People go back to school, the season is changing and we are embracing the riches that earth has to give us. It makes way more sense to me than starting over in the middle of winter. My pagan friends will tell you that the new year in winter marks welcoming the return of the sun. Reading about fall is making me very excited particularly when it is that eloquent.

A tradition for Rosh Hashannah is to eat apples with honey for a sweet new year. One is also encouraged to combine the sweet with savory for the same reason. I like including typical autumn fare to celebrate the harvest. Without further ado, here is my menu plan for my Autumnal appreciation meal:

Caramelized Onion Challah (recipe soon here)
Apples and Honey
Three Beet Caviar with Endive and Goat Cheese, from Local Flavors
Poulet au Normandy, from Chez Panisse Fruit
Chard with Lemon Oil, from Zuni Cafe
Flageolet Gratin (really cannellini beans because flageolets are bloody
expensive) from Sunday Suppers at Lucques
Buckwheat-Walnut Cake with Poached Apples and Caramel Sauce
adapted from Ripe for Dessert

P.S Other celebrations are also in order for the engagement of my Hebrew school partner in crime, A, and his lovely fiance, P. And for my brand spanking new cousin A and her newly minted parents G and E. I'm so happy for all of you, I could just burst!