The writer and art critic shares his mother's spin on the celebratory Jewish bread.
London-based writer and art critic Evan Moffitt weaves in-depth analysis and reflections on contemporary art trends with a nuanced understanding of the cultural landscape. Moffitt has co-authored books on numerous creatives, including Brazilian painter Hélio Oiticica, American photographer and artist Jack Pierson, and Swedish video artist Nathalie Djurberg, and has given talks at various cultural institutions dedicated to the arts and freedom of thought, including Centre Pompidou, the Hammer Museum, the International Center for Photography, and New York University. For Family Style, he chose to share his mother’s challah method, one “she modified from a sweet bread recipe she learned in a Home Economics class in the late 1960s,” he says. This special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, typically braided, is a symbol of love and adorns the Moffitt family table on Christmas every year. I grew up in a mixed-religious household, so she makes it every Christmas,” he explains. Like his mother, “the dough is very adaptable,” he reflects, adding “It makes great French toast and cinnamon rolls, too.”
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups flour
- 2 packages of active dry yeast
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup soft margarine
- 1 ½ cups very hot water
- 2 room-temperature eggs
Instructions
1. Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir well. Add soft margarine.
2. Add hot water. Beat in an electric mixer for one minute or until thick and elastic. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3. Stir in the remaining flour, using just enough to make a soft dough, which leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a floured board and round into a ball.
4. Divide dough into two equal portions and knead until smooth and elastic (5-10 minutes).
5. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let sit for 20 minutes to rise.
6. Pinch down, cut into three equal strips, and braid.
7. Brush with oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-48 hours.
8. Remove from refrigerator and puncture any air bubbles. Bake on a lower rack at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
10. Brush with butter and let it cool.