challah with a twist*

You know challah - that warm, tender loaf that your (neighbor’s) mother served to you on Shabbos night. Or if you were lucky, maybe you had it the day after made into French toast. The principal is simple: flour, salt, water, year, egg, oil, sugar, and sesame (or poppy seeds). We used to make it over the holidays, dividing the dough and tinting one third red, one third green, and leaving the other au naturel. It was our interfaith wedding over Jewish and Christian celebrations.

No need for food color in this loaf, which Claire Saffitz infuses with honey and tahini, lending it a warm, nutty note. The dough rises like gangbusters, probably due to the honey, and the resulting loaf is that same tender, soft, sweet trip down memory lane. Take a look at her “Dessert Person” cookbook for the recipe.

*See what I did there?