Friday Bread Basket 4/22/22
The Late Edition
Crazy week here at Wordloaf HQ, so this one is a little late in getting to your inboxes, my apologies.
Breads in the Key of Life
I loved learning about Shlissel challahs, the key-shaped challahs traditionally made as the first post-Passover loaves, in this Gastro Obscura story from Karen Chernick:
Shlissel challahs, baked by Ashkenazi Jews, get their name from the Yiddish word for “key” (based on the German word schlüssel, meaning the same). A shlissel challah might be shaped like a key, or sesame seeds could form a pattern in a key-shape on top of an otherwise bare loaf. The challah may be topped with a key-shaped decoration, or baked with a key inside, as Schulgasser does, in the belief that the owner will be bestowed with good fortune upon eating the bread. Keys are key, whatever form these challahs take.
My friend Cheryl Holbert (whose challah are pictured in the story) is teaching a workshop in Shlissel challahs on 4/27, if you are curious to learn more.
A Good Bread Tweet
Wich’s Brew
My friend—and Wordloaf contributor— Dayna Evans wrote an excellent roundup of the world’s best sandwich breads and their uses for Eater this week:
Can you throw a charcuterie board in your bag to eat later? Can you stuff your face with a charcuterie board right before getting on a plane? None of these things would be possible without bread enrobing a stack of toppings, and there are as many kinds of sandwich breads as there are sandwich styles.
It’s excellent stuff as always (don’t miss her related story on how to bake sandwich bread), but I don’t think Dayna would mind me saying that it is the accompanying illustrations from Malachy Egan that make it a thing of joy:
How 2 Become Loaf
That’s it for this week’s Bread Basket. I’m off to finalize my recipes for the upcoming flatbreads class. I hope you all have a peaceful weekend, see you next week.
—Andrew
I love the article about the Shlissell Challah which was new to me, despite baking challah most of my life. I looked this up in my copy of Frieda Reider’s Hallah Book and there is indeed a small mention of it along with other special challah shapes. I think I’ve just always been focused on eating pizza when Pesach is over that I missed the opportunity for another Challah version. Thanks so much for including it in your blog this week!
We brought King's Hawaiian rolls back to the UK after our last trip Stateside. They are beautiful things. (Also, French bread from NOLA came back with us too.)