Expert challah tips and tricks. Join Challah Bytes today!

The History of Challah

A great treat for you, dear readers! An in depth look at the history of challah by Libi Astaire, published in Mishpacha Magazine.

Here’s a short excerpt I found fascinating, as the first appearance of challah in the braided shape we know today:

At some point during the 1400s, braided breads using the best available white fl our became popular in Germany, perhaps because braiding the dough helps to keep the bread fresh a bit longer. These breads, known as berchisbrod, started to make an appearance on the Shabbos table, possibly because the German word bercht ( braid) sounds very s imilar to the Hebrew word brachos (blessings). In Southern Germany, this type of challah became known as barches or berches.

Here is a link to the full article: FF 437 – The History of Challah by Libi Astaire
Enjoy!

© Mishpacha Magazine Inc. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission of Mishpacha Magazine
If you would like to reprint this article, please consult Mishpacha Magazine directly.

  • Recent Posts

    The shidduch I almost missed!

    A great treat for you, dear readers! An…

    two round braided challahs on fabric with green and red apples
    A pre-Rosh Hashana challah show that got me thinking

    A great treat for you, dear readers! An…

    Challah – on Pesach??!

    A great treat for you, dear readers! An…

  • Topics to Explore

  • Baking with Tamar

    A Taste of Challah

    A Taste of Challah makes the art of home challah and bread baking accessible to seasoned bakers and beginers alike.
    Price: $34.99
  • What People Say…

    WOW, a New Challah Life!

    Ive had your book for years BUT I just started following your directions exactly and WOW a new challah life!!! I’ve been making challah for 21 years or more, thank you so much!! I so wasn’t going to do the rolling pin part, but i did and WOW again!!!