A Twist on Zomick’s Challah for Hanukkah
Hanukkah, otherwise known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight day celebration that is symbolized by the lighting of one candle each night on the nine-branched menorah. The festival celebrates the time of the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem. Judah Maccabee and the other Jews involved in the rededication proclaimed a miracle when the olive oil used to light the menorah lasted for eight days, rather than just one day, which gave the people time to press more oil for the lamp. The role of olive oil in this event is why fried foods, such as potato latkes, are popular foods on Hanukkah. The Challah bread is another staple during Hanukkah. The dense, slightly sweet egg bread, braided and baked to a deep golden brown works beautifully on its own, with a swipe of butter, but also makes a great addition to other popular foods served on Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is coming near, and next month families everywhere will break bread with two loaves.What goes into the dough itself varies, depending on a family’s heritage. Today there are as many variations as there are individuals. Zomick’s bakery, one of New York City’s oldest kosher bakeries, likes to flavor one or more strands of their famous braided Zomick’s Challah with honey, plump and raisins for added appeal.
This and other fun versions can be found in Zomick’s Challah Recipes. Be sure to check out Zomick’s other ideas for a traditional Hanukkah feast.
Challah is flavorful and moist on the inside with a distinct dark crust because of the applied egg wash prior to baking. But, if you want to make things even more fun and give your own twist, you can decide on a Challah bread shaped as a 6-pointed Star of David, or you could try to shape a Menorah Challah.
Challah may be the quintessential Jewish bread, served at shabbat and holiday meals, but its rich dough knows no religious boundaries. The bread is universally beloved. So, even if you’re not celebrating Hanukkah, there’s absolutely no reason why you wouldn’t try making this sweet, eggy carbohydrate heaven.
