How to Cool and Serve Challah Bread

Serve challah bread at the beginning of the Shabbat meal on Friday and on Jewish holidays. A staple in Jewish homes, challah deserves a place on everyone's table. Finish your meal with a dessert challah filled with fruits and nuts, or make challah rolls to enjoy during any meal.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Finish baking challah for the length of time called for in the recipe, normally between 30 and 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Pull the bread from the oven when it is golden brown.

2. Knock on the bottom of the bread loaf with your knuckles to determine if the bread is baked. Listen for the hollow sound that means your bread has finished cooking and is ready to cool.

3. Place the challah loaf on a rack to cool for 30 to 60 minutes. Use a bread knife to slice the challah. Serve challah at your next meal or within three days.

4. Store the cooled bread in a bread drawer or loosely covered with plastic wrap. Finish eating a challah loaf or place it in the refrigerator after three days to keep it fresh.

5. Place cooled challah in freezer bags and store the bread in the freezer for up to nine months. Thaw bread to room temperature when you want to use it. Give thawed bread a fresh-baked taste by warming it in a 200-degree oven for 10 to 20 minutes.

6. Serve challah with butter, jam or by itself. Braided challah makes a beautiful, edible centerpiece.

Tips & Warnings

• Divide challah dough into smaller sections to make smaller loaves of bread.