Modern Jewish Baker: Challah Hacks from Shannon Sarna

One of my favorite things about living in NYC is the abundance of cool Jewish foodie events going on just about any given month. A few weeks ago, for example, I got to see Jewish baking rockstar Shannon Sarna of the Nosher give a talk about her new cookbook, Modern Jewish Baker, and demo some challah shaping and braiding techniques.

Located at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan, which has got to be one of the most stunning spots in the city, the event began with Shannon Sarna sharing the story of how she came to be one of the world’s foremost Jewish food bloggers. After losing her (Italian, non-Jewish) mother as a teenager, Sarna started baking challah as a way of connecting with both her mother, who had loved to bake, and her Jewish heritage—and comforting her younger siblings. Eventually, she started a food blog that got picked up by 70 Faces Media and became her full-time gig—every blogger’s dream, right?

Then came the demo. Sarna modeled multiple braiding techniques, for a basic three-stranded loaf, a still-manageable four, the epic six, a pull-apart loaf, and even a round six-stranded braid, perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Oh, and did I mention the epic array of toppings she brought with her? From everything bagel mix to grey sea salt from Israel to nigella seeds, Sarna covered her bases.

While she braided, she answered questions from the audience and shared some helpful baking tips. I was too engrossed in watching her braid to take notes, but these are the ones I remember.

Shannon Sarna’s Challah Tips

-always use bread flour, preferable King Arthur

-use a pastry cutter to divide the dough up before shaping

-when dividing the dough into pieces to role out into ropes, weigh each one on a kitchen scale to make sure they’re of equal weight

-roll the ropes out with the heels of your hands, not your fingers—and taper the ends slightly

-don’t roll your strands out too long or too thin

-start braiding a three-stranded loaf from the middle to ensure evenness

-to keep the top and bottom of a four- or six-stranded braid equal in size, be sure to pull the strands tight from the top, not just as you start getting toward the bottom

-a more heavily braided loaf generally yields a fluffier consistency

-always use a bristle pastry brush for egg wash, never silicone

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