Next time, divide the dough 2/3-1/3. This will keep things moving along together. There are dozens of shaping/braiding variations out there, don’t stop now. Frank @ KAF.

Thanks so much for touting the Zo’ all the time! I’m sure it will get plenty of use. My brother’s already requested fresh bread each day for the remainder of his stay up north, and my dad has always been a bread fiend. The mess is the biggest reason I don’t make bread more often, but this eliminates quite a bit of that.

Finally, its great others commented on the Jewish topics you have here. Everyone should just understand that there are many different Jewish traditions and even different ways people observe the kosher laws.

Thanks, Phil, for your encouragement. I’m glad to hear there’s no black-and-white “right/wrong” about traditional Jewish food, but instead, potentially many paths to the same destination… PJH

That said, there previously was a fabulous bakery in Dallas that used KAF for their challah. I didn’t bother making my own because their challah was so spectacular that it was worth buying and using it not only for Shabbat but also for recipes calling for stale bread. After countless years in business, they closed up shop to the retail sector. I was devastated because I used their, and only their, challah for the Cinnamon Bread Pudding on p. 292 of KA’s 200th Anniversary cookbook – I even noted it in my cookbook so when it is eventually passed on to my heirs that they would know exactly what made it extra special. You can bet I am excited to try this recipe in hopes that is comes closer to their challah recipe than anything I’ve been able to replicate.
Andrea, we hope the recipe is everything you are hoping for. Thanks for mentioning about writing the specifics of what makes your recipe ’special’ for your future generations. Sadly, we hear everyday from folks looking for a special recipe or ingredient that Mom or Gramma used to use but never shared, so they are left searching for a piece of their heritage. PLEASE folks, share those secrets now with your loved ones so they are not lost! ~MaryJane

Also, the avoidance of walnuts on Rosh Hashanah is an Ashkenazi tradition. And the “bad thing” that the Hebrew word for walnuts adds up to is “sin.” We try to avoid the reminder of sin at a season of repentance.

To further muddy things up, some Jews, but by no means all, not even a majority, hold to the “non-gebrokhts” standard during Passover. That means that they will not use matzah products in any was that will cause them to come into contact with liquid. That obviously includes baking. The vast majority of Jews, both fully observant and less so, will use matzah meal and matzah cake meal during Passover. There are even Passover certified baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla more or less widely available.

Sorry for the digressive explosion of information.

When doughs are low rising, it can indicate the dough needs a little bit more liquid. Next time try adding 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid to the dough. The bakers are always here to help. Please call us if you need assistance, 800-827-6836. Frank from KAF.