Sarah Pachter loves adding an edible element of beauty to Shabbat.
Her challah napkin rings are fun, delicious and, most importantly, easy to make. “I didn’t know how to cook when I got married,” said Pachter, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and five children. “So if I can make challah napkin rings, anyone - and I mean anyone - can make them!”
Pachter is a speaker and author of “Is it Ever Enough? and “Small Choices Big Changes.” When she was growing up, Pachter’s mother had a Martha Stewart-vibe. Her mom made yogurt, had an extensive vegetable garden and baked challah.
“Everything was homemade, beautiful and perfection with my mom,” Pachter said. “When we had Shabbat, naturally, she found a recipe and a concept of making challah napkin rings. Everything was placed perfectly [on the table]. It literally looked like it came from a magazine.” Pachter thought everyone did Shabbat that way; when she went to her friends’ houses - and things weren’t so spectacular - Pachter realized that wasn’t the case.
Since her mother was such an incredible chef, a lot of time she would tell Pachter that something was easy to make, but it was actually rather complicated.
“I assumed that challah napkin rings were the same kind of thing, where it’s just so hard I’m not even gonna try,” Pachter said.
When she tried it, however, Pachter realized challah napkin rings are an easy and inexpensive way to make your Shabbat table look beautiful and inviting.
You simply make the dough, let it rise and create small braids. Then, cover an old paper towel tube with aluminum foil, wrap the braids around it, and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Pachter’s other secret to an easy Shabbat meal?
“I actually order food,” she admitted. Pachter has a supply of menus from various restaurants, groceries and places that cater. “I created these beautiful acrylic menus,” Pachter said. “I will go to the box and pick out a menu for the week. Either I make a couple of dishes and order a couple of dishes or I just order the whole thing.”
She’d much rather come home and set a beautiful table than stress-out, prepping for dinner. “Who cares if I’m the one who made all the food,” Pachter said. “It’s still delicious. And I don’t want to be so exhausted by the time I get to the table that I can’t even enjoy my guests.”
When you create your shabbat meals, do it in a way that’s authentic to you. Challah napkin rings offer a personal touch, whether you are cooking for your family or opening your home to guests - and whether you cook everything yourself or get some help. Present a beautiful table and enjoy the experience.
How to Make Challah Napkin Rings
You can use any challah dough recipe to make these napkin rings, but here’s one we like.
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoon yeast each teaspoon not quite full
- 1 ¼ cup water
- ½ cup neutral oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk for the top
Nutritional Facts
Instructions
- Make a little well with the flour on a flat surface and add the yeast, water, oil, sugar, salt, and 3 eggs into the center. Combine everything by mixing/kneading the dough with your hands until you have a soft, smooth dough. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour; if the dough is dry, add a little more water.
- Wrap your paper towel holder with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Create very small thin braids with the dough and then wrap them around the foil-covered tube.
- Make sure you have one napkin ring for each guest.
- Set braids aside to rise in a warm place for 1 to 3 hours. You can cover them with a towel.
- Lightly paint with the egg yolk and, if you want, sprinkle with sugar.
- Place tubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350℉ for approximately 12 minutes, depending on your oven. You may want to keep an eye; you want your challah to be golden brown. And you can tap on your challah rings when they come out of the oven. If they sound hollow, they are ready.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. When you are ready to set the table, roll up the napkin and slip the ring onto it.
