Challah Wars
Shawn adding egg wash, photo by Mindy Stern
That braided bread you see at Jewish celebratory meals? It’s called challah. Try clearing your throat and pronounce the first two letters of challah with a guttural sound. Mazal tov - you’ve got it.
Two challah loaves are required for the ritual blessings that begin the Sabbath-welcoming meal on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. On other occasions, one loaf will do.
Why two on the Sabbath? Legend has it that when the almighty provided manna to nourish Jews while they wandered in the desert enroute to the promised land, a double portion rained down on Fridays, enough for Friday and the Sabbath, when work is prohibited.
There are different styles of challah – big, small, sweet, and savory. And on Mercer Island, there are now three places where challah is baked on Fridays and sold fresh that day. With my family gathering for a Sabbath dinner, I conducted a blind testing during our Friday night meal. The judges included granddaughters ages six and nine, my son and his partner, my husband and me. All of us are veteran challah chompers (no guttural inflection here - think cha-cha).
Eight years ago, driving downhill on SE 24th, a sandwich-board sign advertising “Clam Chowder & Challah” caught my eye. Was I seeing that right? Clams, lacking fins and gills, are definitely not kosher, so pairing them with challah seemed odd. But Shawn Huffman, the chef turned café owner of Shawn’s Café & Bakery, had been encouraged by a fan of his other baked-goods to give challah a try. Today, loyal customers order regular or mini challahs for the Sabbath a day or two in advance, or risk coming home empty-handed. Shawn does all his baking on-site in a tiny kitchen. There are three small café tables on the deck outside, and a rotating menu of seasonal soups to accompany the sandwiches that fly out the door.
Macrina Bakery and Café opened its seventh branch on Mercer Island on July 5th, and it’s been packed ever since, exceeding company predictions for volume and demand. High-quality baked goods like theirs aren’t empty calories; they’re a necessary indulgence! Macrina’s breads and pastries – which contain zero preservatives – are baked at midnight in their Kent and SODO kitchens for early morning delivery. Any unsold items at closing time are donated to food banks. Some items are offered year-round. Cakes and pastries change monthly, reflecting what’s in season. Among breakfast and lunch items, avocado toast is a best-seller. On Fridays, they sell huge loaves of challah.
From left to right, Miriam’s, Macrina’s, Shawn’s challahs. Photos by Mindy Stern
The final contestant in my challah war game was the newly opened Miriam’s Bake Shop. Like Macrina, its goods are baked off-site and delivered to the shop. The owner, Elizabeth, is channeling Jewish and Italian baking traditions, featuring triangular phyllo-dough pastries called burekas, foot-long, oval-shaped, sesame-encrusted “Jerusalem” bagels, pignoli cookies, and of course, challah. Open less than a month, Miriam’s has long lines on Fridays and sells out, so if you want a challah, best to order in advance.
Last Friday, I visited all three establishments and came home loaded with bread. I cut one loaf from each establishment into small pieces for my judges to sample, placing them on plates labeled one, two, and three. Without revealing who’s who and what’s what, their comments ranged from “Buttery, smooth & sweet,” to “Bland.” One granddaughter liked hers with seeds. The other preferred without, and one of the adults concurred, “Sesame seeds aren’t my favorite.”
The two clear winners were described as “Sweet, nice texture, buttery,” and “Flaky, airy, light,” and out-of-left-field, “Lemony.” Thanks, kids!
You can hold your own challah-war by visiting these local shops, and let your family weigh in and declare a winner. Or, visit the Stroum Jewish Community Center to learn challah-making, including the special, round, “crown-challah” that’s traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Did you know that day-old challah makes excellent French Toast? Bon Appétit!
Shawn’s Café & Bakery, 7420 SE 24th St (Wed & Thurs 6–2, Fri 6–2, Sat & Sun 8–2)
Macrina Bakery & Café, 351 78th Ave SE (daily, 7–6)
Miriam’s Bakeshop 2711 76th Ave SE (Wed 8–2, Thurs & Fri 8–5, Sun 10–3)
Friday, September 12 from 1-3pm, Rosh Hashanah round challah bake, and regular bakes each month. https://sjcc.org/event/monthly-challah-bake-3/
Friday, September 19, noon – 2pm, Free event for adults over 60: Learn to braid round challah for Rosh Hashanah on https://sjcc.org/event/round-challah-for-rosh-hashanah/
Meanderings is an award-winning travel column by Mercer Island resident, Mindy Stern. For more essays, or to comment, visit her website www.mindysternauthor.com