There is a custom amongst Ashkenazi Jews to make challahs in the shape of keys the first Shabbat after Passover. You can read more about this custom in my previous posts here. Now, while I had planned to do this in preparations for the first Shabbat after Passover, I just couldn't find my mixer, though I'll admit I didn't really look all that hard. You see my husband was away and I was making a very simple Shabbat for just me and three little ones......you got the picture right? So, now that the husband is back and I have located the mixer, I figured I'd make key shaped challah for this shabbat, after all I'm only a week late, and better a bit late than never I figure!
This time rather than make a huge key, I made three smaller key shaped loaves together with three six-stranded braided challahs from 2 kilos of flour. Lucky for you now that Shabbat doesn't start until 7pm, I have much more time to spoil you all with photos of what's going on around here even on a Friday!
In just a bit I will brush on some raw egg and maybe sprinkle some sesame seeds, well at least on the braided loaves, and into the oven they go. I think I will be taking a little nap just as they come out of the oven, so no promises for an after photo, we'll just have to see!
Note: If you want to make key shaped rolls that will really hold their shape, so make them from something that rises much less than white challah, you know like whole wheat challah, or half whole wheat and half spelt......great looking, delicious and certainly the most healthy version. Shabbat shalom!
Latest breaking news: Here are the challahs baked and ready to be eaten. They were delicious!
This is the very top loaf from the photo of the unbaked challah, and the next photo shows the other two slightly smaller ones:
And by the way, if you'd like to make some delicious white challah too, here's my recipe, and while you're at it, check out this previous post about decorating your challahs!