In Jewish communities in Russia, on , it was customary to bake long, sweet challah loaves that resemble ropes, to commemorate the rope that Haman wanted to hang the Jewish leader Mordechai on (and on which Haman was hanged instead)!
Ingredients
Servings 8
- ½ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 eggs divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3-4 cups flour
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Russian Kulich - A Special Purim Challah Bread
Amount per Serving
Calories
364
% Daily Value*
Fat
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
3
g
19
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
8
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
61
mg
20
%
Sodium
171
mg
7
%
Potassium
78
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
49
g
16
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
13
g
14
%
Protein
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
89
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
0.001
mg
0
%
Calcium
17
mg
2
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- Pour water into mixing bowl, and sprinkle with yeast and sugar. Wait ten minutes until bubbly.
- Add 2 eggs, salt, oil and half the flour. Mix (by hand or with an electric mixer with bread hook attachment) until combined. Add more flour, a little at a time, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise one hour. Briefly knead dough, then let rise, covered, for another hour.
- Divide dough into six parts, and roll each into long strands. Pinch together at one end, then braid the strands. (Alternate crossing the right strand over the three to its left, then the left strand over the three to its right.) Pinch together at the bottom when done.
- Place on a cookie sheet, cover, and let rise one more hour. Beat remaining egg, and brush it over the loaf to glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and bake approximately 45 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Notes
Yields: 1 lage loaf
Recipe adapted from Angels at the Table: A Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat by Yvette Alt Miller (Continuum 2011).
