BAKING FOR A SWEET NEW YEAR

One of the most beloved traditions of Rosh Hashanah is the preparation of special foods that symbolize our hopes for the year ahead. Among these, two staples stand out: the iconic round challah and the delectable honey cake. These treats are more than just delicious; they represent the end to a long year that will enable everyone to start the New Year on a sweet note.

Running to the supermarket is something every family can relate to when preparing for a holiday. Up and down every aisle, searching for the ingredients mentioned above. Now if you’re baking for many people, call your local bakery ingredients distributor and let them ship it to you. Just give them a few day’s notice and you’ll be on your way to the most delicious, sweet holiday of the year!

The nostalgia of the round challah on Rosh Hashanah is similar to the thanksgiving turkey. Everyone knows what it represents, and everyone has a recipe from their grandmother passed down. Flour, sugar is replaced by honey or mixed together with it, yeast, eggs, and a lot of love. And remember, if the recipe you are using says to bake for 25-30 minutes, take it out a few minutes earlier as the baking process continues for roughly 10 minutes more outside of the oven until the dough starts cooling. This will give you a slightly lighter baked challah that will be softer with less crumbs. The end result is a warm loaf of bread that is unforgettable. The round shape, like almost everything in life, brings the message of family and happiness full circle.

Another delicious fixture of the Rosh Hashanah table is honey cake. This moist and flavorful cake, often spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, adds a touch of sweetness to our holiday meals. The recipe for honey cake, like the challah, is probably passed down generation to generation. Flour, rye flour, eggs, honey, cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, and raisins or nuts if the kids can tolerate them. All baked together around 325-330 in the oven without interruption or opening and closing the door. The reason why is to prevent any shaking of the batter where it will collapse in the center. This little piece of information I learned the hard way many years ago. A quick story that is funny now but at the time not sure anyone was laughing.

I grew up in the bakery business. My parents first day at our family bakery was Valentines Day 1985. I was 7 months old and well on my way to learning the business. Years later when I was around 18 years old, I was busy helping the bakers prepare for Rosh Hashana. After spending most of the night twisting round challahs for the day ahead, the baker had put a mix of honey cake loaves in the oven. Me being the inexperienced baker, I impatiently kept opening the oven door to check on the loaves which ended up making the shelves in the oven vibrate and shake just a little bit. Little did I know my impatience would end up ruining half of the loaves in the oven. Half the loaves of the mix collapsed in the center which prevented them from rising and baking properly. Sure enough, I was reminded of this mistake the entire holiday as my parents made me take home 3 loaves for the holiday. So please be patient when baking this item. It’ll be worth the wait. After an hour-to an hour fifteen, you can finally enjoy your honey cake with your round challah!

Hopefully after receiving your ingredients from your distributor, and all the work involved in mixing and baking you are ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor. So sit down, relax, and enjoy the sweetness of baking to the new year!

L'shana tova!