I have spent a long time working on my challah – the consistency, baking time, different flavors. And for me it has always been about the taste, not about the look. But, everyone knows we eat as much with our eyes and nose as we do with our mouth, so I felt it was about time I put forth some effort to perfect my challah braiding.
When I began this endeavor I had only used three techniques for braiding: simple three strand braid (below), a knotted challah roll and a round six-braid challah for holidays that a lovely lady named Chayie Chinn taught me years ago using play-do!
But I was determined to master a six braid challah, what I consider the prettiest of all the challah shapes.
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The Shiksa, one of my favorite bloggers, has a whole tutorial about braiding different kinds of challah which you can check out here. But truth be told (sorry Tori!) I didn’t love her suggestion for a six braid challah, and so after practicing with her instructions I was still in search of a technique (and a virtual teacher) that would give me the beautiful, uniform-shaped challahs I was looking for.
Finally after some google searching late one night, I came across this video from Maya Sprague which seemed to have the kind of directions I was seeking – step by step, and a braiding technique slightly different than some others.
It was confusing at first to follow along, so I recommend having everything you will need at hand, including your laptop or ipad. I pressed pause a lot, and rewound to make sure I was crossing over the correct strand. After a few tries I was definitely getting into the rhythm. I hope with some more practice this technique will become like second nature to me!
Now I know everyone has a different recipe, and a different way of shaping challahs, so I am a big believer in whatever works for you. And this is what worked for me, so thank you Maya for your awesome directions! Your challot are stunning.
Check out my gorgeous six braid challahs from last week! Do you have challah braiding tips? We want to know! Post your best tips below.
challah
Pronounced: KHAH-luh, Origin: Hebrew, ceremonial bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
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