Challah

Shabbat bread

Challah is the traditional bread for the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) and holidays. Two loaves are placed on the Friday evening table, representing the double portion of manna the Israelites collected on Fridays in the desert, so they wouldn’t need to gather on the Sabbath. Before eating, the bread is covered with a cloth, a blessing (HaMotzi) is recited, and the loaves are torn or sliced and passed around.

The braid

A three-strand braid is most common for weekly Shabbat challah. For Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), the loaf is shaped into a spiral (round challah), symbolising the cyclical nature of the year and hope for a sweet, rounded year ahead. Six-strand braids are popular for holidays, demonstrating skill and festivity.

Enriched dough

Challah dough contains a generous quantity of eggs and oil, making it richer and more tender than lean bread. Unlike brioche, which uses butter (dairy), challah uses oil — allowing it to be eaten at both meat and dairy meals under kosher dietary laws.

The name

The word challah (חַלָּה) refers in the Torah to a portion of dough that was separated and given to priests. The modern usage for the bread itself is an extension of this ritual meaning.