Bread for shabbos instead of challah?

amother

Tangerine

Fri, Apr 05 2024, 11:11 am

ShishKabob wrote:

I wouldn't do it, just because I don't feel its shabbosdig. I would try to make it my business to use up the bread a different way. Or I would use some of it but not for lechem mishna or anything like that.

For those saying challah is too expensive, please make it yourself. All you need is a bag of flour some yeast, water, salt and sugar. You don't even have to use eggs. It's really a kavod for the Shabbos and it brings a bracha into the home.

Hugs op, if your sholom bayis is on the line, it's a whole different story.

Bottom line is to have a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

I literally don’t know how to incorporate challah baking into our routine. tiny tiny kitchen, BH work full time outside the home and come home to little kids. no outside help. I can’t see going into the kitchen at 9pm to start baking challah which takes so many hours. BH I already use sundays to cook for the week. buying trader joe half baked works perfectly for our family. small portion since we don’t like filling up on bread, and can’t beat the price. maybe when I’m a retired bubby I’ll bake challah. we’ll see

amother

Poinsettia

Sat, Apr 06 2024, 10:11 am

Not eating matzo for 30 days before Pesach is only a custom. Many people use the inexpensive matzos before Pesach for Lechem Mishna. You can still eat bread at your table if you haven't made everything Pesachdik early.

amother

Peach

Sat, Apr 06 2024, 11:01 am

amother Tangerine wrote:

Not saying it's a thing for everyone, but one can bake quick challah in 1.5 hours start to finish. I've done it. Simple dough using 1 kg of flour, sugar, salt, oil, instant yeast and a bag of baking powder. Hand mix dough with warm water, cover and put aside for close to an hour. Dust with more flour, braid 3 or 4 small challot, put on egg wash and sesame if you like or just don't, wait 5 minutes, then bake for half an hour in preheated oven. Done. 1.5 hours.
I've done the wole thing once even in under 1 hour in an emergency, but that turned out a bit too dense, didn't have time enough to rise.
Longer rising leads to better results. But 1.5 hours can be done.

We use lechem mishne just for the first two meals, se'udah shlishit dh says one loaf is enough. That's why I bake 3 challot for each Shabbat.

amother

Stone

Sat, Apr 06 2024, 5:49 pm

amother Peach wrote:

I put mine in a warm oven to rise, takes 30 mins! It's amazing.

amother

Arcticblue

Sat, Apr 06 2024, 8:36 pm

I have used a baguette, pita bread, tandoori bread, roll, par baked roll that I heat up. Lots of kinds of breads. We fell out of love with traditional challah because it’s too eggy and sweet. I would used sliced bread after the 2 whole breads (like buy a bag of pitas for a few dollars and use that for the whole breads, and then eat the sliced bread at the meal).

LittleDucky

Sat, Apr 06 2024, 8:52 pm

I said yes but assumed it was whole loaves.
If you don't have challah I would just buy a pack of pita and make hamotzei on that but then serve sliced bread for eating/dips and to make sure you get the minimum shiur for bentching...

amother

Tangerine

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 12:03 am

amother Peach wrote:

An hour and a half is a long time especially when starting so late at night. Plus braiding alone would take me forever: I’m really not good at anything that involves precision or artistry.

amother

Daylily

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 12:06 am

amother Tangerine wrote:

An hour and a half is a long time especially when starting so late at night. Plus braiding alone would take me forever: I’m really not good at anything that involves precision or artistry.

I almost never braid challah. I make simple loaves or rolls and call it a day.

It takes me under 10 minutes (often under 5) to make a batch of challah dough using 5lb of flour. I don't knead for very long, sometimes not at all. It's enough to mix until it turns into a dough.

I let it rise for an hour, don't bother covering, sometimes oil the top but not always, and don't bother punching it down or anything like that. I set a timer to remember to come back and shape it.

Then I take challah, make a big baking pan of simple rolls (grab a handful of dough, turn it inside out so it looks smooth, drop on parchment-covered pan - this is also just 5 minutes of work) and leave the rest for my kids to play with/shape.

I let the rolls rise for a half hour then bake for 20-30 minutes. I usually do not do an egg wash.

The challos are not beautiful but they are soft and delicious!

amother

Peachpuff

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 12:26 am

You can use roll/pitta etc. Anything whole.
We use a small challah and matza during the year because of waste. We don't eat bread during the week for health reasons.
I make my own challah- small loaves, sometimes I braid if I have time or I just twist into rolls. Mix it with machine to avoid mess.
It doesn't take long to actually mix but it is a project with the rising/waiting and then baking and cooling (messy in a small kitchen) so I do it every 8 weeks and make small rolls/mini challot enough for that period and freeze.
I have exactly enough until פסח right now.

I make because I don't like white processed challah- I make brown/malted flour and v little sugar and it is delicious, rich with the egg so not like regular bread. Not cake like which I really don't like and makes me bloated.

amother

Peach

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 12:55 am

amother Tangerine wrote:

An hour and a half is a long time especially when starting so late at night. Plus braiding alone would take me forever: I’m really not good at anything that involves precision or artistry.

Braiding can be like 20 seconds per challah, especially if they are not huge. I just rip the dough into 3 lumps, roll them quickly between both my hands into sausage like strands and braid a simple 3-braid on a big plate. No precision or artistry involved at all. Of course it's not necessary.

Iymnok

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 5:05 am

Layer the ingredients in the mixer in the order that a bread machine uses. Turn it on low for 10 minutes. Remove the hook and let it rise for 30-to 60 minutes. (Go do something else)
Grab handfulls of dough and drop them on a cookie sheet with baking paper, well spaced. Let rise for a half hour. Brush with egg, or not. Bake.
It requires you to be home for 2hrs, but minimal hands on.
Smaller rolls bake faster and the rest of the batch could be dinner. Just pet aside what you need for Shabbos fir the next two weeks.
Make french toast with the rest of your sliced bread.

Comptroller

Sun, Apr 07 2024, 6:40 am

Yes, I would use bread instead of challah for shabbat, but on the condition that I have lechem mishne, two uncut, whole loaves.

So if I had lots of bread but no challah left now before pessach, I would take or make two small buns or mini-chalot and use them for lechem mishne, cut only one small bun/challah per seuda, and serve the bread to eat.

Plus I would make things like garlick bread and others of the bread still present, on weekdays.