Customer Reviews

A Taste of Challah

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was looking forward to reviewing this book for my food blog. The bread is traditionally served on Shabbat (Sabbath) meals by Ashkenazi Jews. It generally includes eggs and, at least in the U.S., comes in a braided loaf form for most of the year, and a round turban shape for the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

There was much good I found in the book. The author is a religious Jew and offers a lot of information on the theological and culture links. There is also more information than I've ever seen in one place on how to handle and shape the dough, including variations like a braided round challah that I've never seen. We'll get to some more good points in a moment.

But calling the volume A Comprehensive Guide to Challah and Bread Baking is overblown and inaccurate. For example, the only recipe for "regular" challah dough is called Always Perfect No-Egg Challah. The title alone suggests what anyone familiar with the bread knows: eggs are a normal component. I wondered whether strict kosher food laws might consider eggs as meat, and so something that could not be served with dairy, but a little research showed that eggs are considered pareve - neither meat nor dairy. Nothing wrong with variations, but I don't see how a book can be "comprehensive" without a version of the most traditional approach.

The basic recipe also called for 16 to 17 cups of flour for what it said were 6 large loaves. Three cups of flour are about a pound, adding the weight of oil, sugar, and sugar, I'm guessing that the "large" loaves would be about a pound each - not so large from my view. I didn't bother making this fundamental recipe because that's also far more bread than my family will go through before it goes stale, though under Jewish law you're supposed to eat three meals on Shabbat and start each with two loaves, so I'm guessing that's where the volume came from. However, those who are not religious Jews are likely to be overwhelmed by the amount.

Back to what I liked: I learned a technique of using a rolling pin to make perfect dough ropes which, in turn, helps create the proper braided shape. The only hint that I thought was missing was doing a double egg wash: once, letting that dry, and then a second time to help achieve the perfect color a good bakery can get. There's also an interesting collection of other recipes, ranging from bagels and pita (though either a long-baked or no-pocket type, again not the traditional one) to some Middle Eastern breads and dips that I've never before seen.

The upshot: some people, like me, will find a lot of good in the $35 book - and you can see that more money than usual went into a nicely crafted hardbound with abundant color photography. But if you're new to bread baking and want a traditional loaf of challah, you'd at least need to supplement this volume with a recipe from another source.

While this book might be less intimidating for beginngers than Maggie Glezer's Blessing of Bread, in most respects it is far inferior to Glezer's work. There are few recipes for Challah (as a previous review noted the one for plain Challah does not contain eggs) and the recipes for the other breads are lackluster. If you want a book that examines Jewish baking through the ages and across many different regions, Glezer's book is definitely the better choice. If your goal is a basic overview of Challah and a few basic recipes, Ansh's book will suffice.

This is an unusual book. It is, as other reviews have noted, far more a book about challah--spiritual components, religious components--than it is a cookbook. The title is thus a tad misleading. It also, as has also been noted, lacks a basic recipe for challah with eggs, which is like doing a French bread cookbook without a baguette recipe.

However, I have to admit that the recipes themselves are excellent. I've made the za'atar bread twice, and it disappears rapidly because it is so tasty. The basic no-egg challah recipe is fine, and all of the others I've tried are also very good.

The book is expensive, and unless you're really excited about the non-recipe content or, like me, you collect bread cookbooks, I am not sure that I'd recommend it, but there are certainly some useful things here.

this beautifully written book has changed my sabbath table forever. I tried the recipe and tips this week and got amazing results. My challas looked absolutely stunning, nicer than the bakery and my family tells me they were delicious!!! I have until now made tasty but funny looking challa but this easy to read and implement guide has transformed my challa baking both spiritually and physically. its a must have!

A Taste of Challah: A Comprehensive Guide to Challah and Bread Baking by Tamar Ansh is truly one of the most comprehensive books, complete with clear and detailed instructions and over 350 beautiful full-color step-by-step photographs

It is more than just another bread-making recipe book. I am an experienced bread maker and have taught classes in breadmaking for many years. Nevertheless, I learned so much from Tamar's book. Whether you're a novice to challah/bread-baking or an old hand at it, this is a book you'll definitely want to own.

In addition to recipes and instructions for everything you ever wanted to know about making and braiding challah, there are wonderful chapters on large challah shapes, small challah shapes, health challah and breads, specialty breads, Middle Eastern breads and accompaniments, and fun and different ideas. Recipes include, in addition to the traditional challahs, Zatar challah, Pecan challah, Yemenite Saluf, flower-shaped challah rolls, kubana, onion croissants and dessert breads and rolls.

This was a gift for my wife and she loved it. Although she is a very experienced challah baker, this book had a lot of tips and ideas that were new. I think that she told me that this book really uses only one basic challah recipe which is a good one, but go to the author's web site and you will get a lot more that are not in her book. Highly recommended.

To learn more about challah baking, and to hear shiurim on other womens' topics check out listenandlearntorah.com.

I love this cookbook! The pictures and layout are so stunning it's a treat for the eyes. The personal anecdotes and stories included make you feel like you're chatting with the author in her kitchen. Best of all is the ease and the variety of the recipes, and the clear step-by-step braiding directions. I've been baking challah regularly for over a decade, and Ansh's basic challah recipe is the best and most fool-proof I've ever tried. My family and friends love it. And Ansh doesn't stop with challah - there are a plethora of breads and even a few spreads, all with easy, straightforward directions. Can't wait to try them all.

instructions, which can be followed with ease, great results, that's exactely what I expect.
How to braid the dough, however, is not as clearcut as how to prepare and bake it.
If you want to bake great tasting challah or other breads like sourdough (the pizza dough is really tasty too) this is the book of your choice!