If you're lucky enough to follow Mey Carbo de Avilés on Instagram you already know that she's a messianic wife, mother, homeschooler, and amazing cook.
From salads and homemade matzah to marinated meats and hearty lentil soups, she nurtures her family true eschet chayil style.
Take a look at this guava paste and queso fresco one she made.
Mey has agreed to share her challah recipe and a some thoughts from the heart.
Ready to make some challah?
Challah
by Mey Carbo de Avilés's
Mmmm, challah. Fresh baked, homemade challah. There simply is just no comparison. Not to mention that I quite enjoy eating a nice, warm piece of buttered bread at any moment of the day.
But I digress. Back to challah.
For me, there is just something almost spiritual about it.
From the very start of preparing the yeast to that long awaited first bite, it’s pure delight.
Every Friday morning, I take out all the ingredients and set them on my kitchen counter, and the first thing on my mind is getting in the right “spirit”.
I try to clear my mind of anything that will not help me elevate this one special task. I even put on music that speaks to my soul and serves as inspiration. I may do a little dance if it’s upbeat too.
As I pour each ingredient into the bowl, I say prayers for provision, sweetness of words, preservation from evil, renewal of healing and life, etc. Then I place the dough on the counter and start kneading it.
I start imparting prayers of happiness and joy into my challah so that my when my family eats of it at our Shabbat table, they may taste it too. By this time, I may have shed a tear or two just thinking about it.
I don’t ever want making challah to be a burden, a chore, just one more thing on my long Prep Day to-do list. Making challah is special.
There is so much symbolism enclosed in it: double portion of manna in the wilderness, divine provision, Yeshua the Bread of Life . . .amazing things to ponder about.
I enjoy these moments of intimacy with the Creator as I silently pray and am filled with overwhelming gratefulness at the thought that I get to participate in this age-old tradition that connects me with a people that I so dearly love.
Making challah always gets me in the "right spirit" before Shabbat. It helps me be conscientious and let go of any negativity I may have endured during the week. It's my soul therapy.
And 9 times out of 10, it always tastes amazing!
Challah Recipe
2 tbsp yeast
1 1⁄4 cup of warm water
1 tbsp of sugar
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp salt
4 room temperature eggs + 1 egg for egg wash
6 1⁄2 cups (aprox) bread flour (or combo of all purpose+bread flour/whole what flour)
Procedure:
1. In a bowl gently mix yeast, water, and 1 tbsp of sugar. Set aside for several minutes until the yeast “blooms”.
2. Add sugar, olive oil, salt into yeast mixture and gently mix. Add eggs, one by one, and mixing in between. Ex. Add one egg, mix; add one egg, mix.
3. Slowly add in flour, cup by cup and mix. When the dough gets too thick to mix, place a little flour on the counter and continue adding in the remaining flour while knead the dough.
Continue kneading the dough until it’s no longer sticky and springs back up when you press a finger into it.
4. Heavily grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside. Move dough around and the flip the dough to cover it with the oil.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 1 hour. After an hour, gently punch down the dough and flip it over. Cover it again and place in warm place for a half hour.
6. After half hour, lightly flour counter, then divide the dough into two equal portions.
Take one of the halves and divide into however many strands to braid the challah.
*Tip: take each strand portion and roll it flat with a rolling pin. Then roll it into itself from one end to the other until you have a long strand.
Repeat with the other half.
7. Braid challah and make egg wash from the last egg and brush challah with it. Reserve egg wash. Set challah aside in warm place and allow to rise for 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven at 350 F
9. After one hour, place challah in the center of preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take challah out and brush challah again with egg wash, especially where the challah is still pale.
Place back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown on top.
10. Done! Enjoy your challah once it’s cooled off but still warm. And go ahead and add some butter.
Let us know if you try making it!
Psalm 67
G-d be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise You, O G-d; Let all the peoples praise You. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth.
Let the peoples praise You, O G-d; Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; G-d, our own G-d, shall bless us. G-d shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
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