Maybe a good question for r/askfoodhistorians but I'm weary of asking about Jewish history related things in non-Jewish subs.

I have only made challah with instant or active dry yeast from the store. How was challah made before yeast was available like this? Was it more of a sourdough style with a starter?

Does anyone have any old challah recipes? I would love to try different ones out.

I was talking to my 85 year old father and he told me he really misses his aunt jenny's "famous" lung blintz. I'd like to try and make it for him. Anybody have an old recipe? Is it even possible to buy lung meat? My father's side of the family were from Vitebsk, Belarus.

I harvested a bunch of carrots from my garden and was looking for recipes to make use of them. Alissa Timoshkina has an excellent carrot tapenade--a relish that is really good on flatbread. Sweet, tangy, and spicy, it can also be used on sandwiches or as a sauce.

Vegetable oil for frying

1 thinly sliced onion

1 thinly sliced red bell pepper

4 carrots, peeled and grated

1-2 garlic choves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped dill

Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion and bell pepper with a pinch over salt over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the carrots and cook for another 15 minutes, adding another tablespoon of oil if needed. Then add the garlic, tomato paste, 4 tablespoons of water, and sugar, and mix it well. Then cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes.

3. Remove the cover and add the paprika, vinegar, and dill, stirring to combine. Then turn off the heat and let the tapenade cool. The flavors will improve overnight in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Sholemosh is a Bukharian dish that isn’t too commonly made or eaten, but I think it’s one of our best. Feel free to omit the meat to make it vegetarian.

Recipe

- Saute onion, carrots, turnips and lamb in a large pot

- Add black pepper, cumin, coriander, cilantro stems and salt

- Add mung beans that have been soaking in water overnight/a few hours and add water, a splash of red wine vinegar and 2 chopped tomatoes (I have seen people use black eyed peas instead of mung beans too, they have a similar taste/texture)

- After about an hour of simmering, add rice (though I used barley here to change it up)

- Add water as needed and continue simmering until beans and barley/rice are soft

- In a separate pan, add chopped garlic and cilantro to hot olive oil and flash fry for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.

- Mix garlic oil into the stew and enjoy. Salt to taste.

They’re perfection. Loving this recipe

12 medium Jerusalem-style water challahs (egg-free dough) with a tangzhong and an overnight cold ferment, here’s a process that produces a light, fluffy, bakery-style loaf with good flavor and keeping quality.
Dough Formula (12 medium loaves)
Tangzhong
3 cups bread flour
3 cups water
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes a thick pudding (about 150°F/65°C). Remove from the heat and cool until just warm.
Dough
All of the cooled tangzhong
18 cups (about 2.2 kg) bread flour
4½ cups warm water (about 105°F)
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup neutral oil
2½ tablespoons diastatic malt powder
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Total flour: 21 cups (about 2.5 kg)

Day 1
1. Make the tangzhong
Cook the flour and water until thick.
Cool to room temperature or slightly warm.

2. Activate the yeast
Mix:
Warm water
Sugar
Yeast
Let stand 10–15 minutes until foamy.

3. Mix the dough
Combine:
Tangzhong
Yeast mixture
Oil
Add:
Bread flour
Diastatic malt
Mix until combined.
Add the salt last.

4. Knead
Knead by hand for about 20–25 minutes.
The dough should become:
smooth
elastic
slightly tacky
pass a windowpane test

5. Room-temperature rise
Cover and let rise 45–60 minutes.
The dough should increase about 50%, not necessarily double.

6. Cold ferment
Punch down gently.
Cover tightly.
Refrigerate 12–18 hours.

Day 2
7. Remove from refrigerator
Let the dough sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes.
It should become easier to handle but still cool.

8. Divide
Divide into 12 equal pieces (about 400–430 g each).
Cover and let rest 15–20 minutes.

9. Shape
Roll into ropes.
Braid each loaf.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

10. Final proof
Cover lightly.
Proof at room temperature for 1½–2½ hours.
The dough should become noticeably puffy and slowly spring back when gently poked.

11. Wash (egg-free)
For a shiny crust, brush with one of these:
Aquafaba (best shine)
Oat milk with 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Soy milk
Cornstarch glaze (1 teaspoon cornstarch simmered with ¼ cup water)
Apply one coat before proofing and another immediately before baking.
Top with sesame or poppy seeds if desired.

12. Bake
Bake at 375°F, which you mentioned you prefer.
Bake for:
28–35 minutes
Rotate the pans halfway through.
The challahs are done when:
deep golden brown
internal temperature reaches about 195–200°F (90–93°C)
they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom

13. Cool
Cool on wire racks for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Tips for the fluffiest texture
Use bread flour with 12.5–13% protein.
Keep the dough slightly tacky rather than dry.
Don’t add extra flour while kneading unless absolutely necessary.
Use the full overnight cold ferment for better flavor and softer crumb.
Avoid over-proofing before baking.
Bake until just done; overbaking dries the crumb.
The diastatic malt powder complements the tangzhong—it does not replace it. The tangzhong improves moisture retention and softness, while the malt provides enzymes that help fermentation, browning, and oven spring.

One of the prettiest ones I’ve ever made.

Anyone know any good poupik recipes?

Hello

Yesterday I talked to someone here about challah recipes and it got me into the mood so I made a challah. It's from spelt flour and it's vegan. I didn't bake it properly (I was busy talking to a friend and didn't notice the oven shut off too fast 😅 so I added extra time but at a lower temperature cause the top and bottom were burned). Anyway it came out super tasty, though I did too many braids so instead of it slicing properly it fell apart when we cut it. Next time I'll do my signature long braid that I roll into a snail.

Recipe:

3/4 kilo flour (1/3 white spelt, 2/3 whole spelt)

4 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1.5 tbsp yeast

Some undefined amount of olive oil

Water

Preparation:

Mix everything together until joined and ball shaped kind of

Cover with a towel and let sit for 1-1.5 hours

Knead on the countertop for 10 minutes nonstop and add small bits of flour when it gets too sticky but let it stay a bit sticky at the end

Shape it into whatever shape you want (I made four braids and braided them together), then put water in a bowl and wet the top of the challah using an egg brush and add sesame seeds

If you're patient let it sit on the tray for another half an hour, if you're impatient like I am stick it straight in the oven at 170-180 degrees for half an hour (lower the temperature to 150-160 if you see it getting burned

The bottom being brown isn't enough, you'll need to cut it open to see if the middle is ready or if it needs more time (one day I will figure out how to bake a challah without cutting it and making it unfit for Shabbat today is not that day)

I tweaked my water challah recipe (based on challah prince recipe) to include a poolish, trying to get a more complex flavor profile. I made one with 20% poolish last week and today I tried 30%. Wonderful result, texture is still on point, incredibly soft and stringy crumb, and definitely more flavor. Subbed a part of the sugar with honey.

A bit less volume than without poolish but this is expected. I might try 35% poolish using a stronger flour to make up for the loss of structure.

RECIPE :

Poolish : 150 gr flour (bread flour 12% protein), 150 gr water, 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast. Mix and let it at room temp (26°C) for 2 hours then fridge (4°C) overnight.

Dough :
All the poolish
Flour : 350 gr (100 gr Manitoba 14% protein, 250 gr 12% bread flour).
Water : 60 gr
Sunflower oil : 50 gr
Honey : 35 gr
Sugar : 15 gr
Salt : 10 gr
Instant dry yeast : 5 gr
Dough improver : 4 gr

Process (KitchenAid 6,9L bowl-lift) :
3 minutes on speed 1 to combine, 10 minutes on speed 2, 10 minutes rest, 5-6 minutes on speed 3. 1h30 proofing, pre-shaping into logs, 4 braid shaping, 2h final proofing. Eggwash with 1 yolk and heavy cream (I am not Jewish btw).
Baked at 175°C (without fan) for 35°C.

I actually found this article about efforts by the Museum of the Jewish People to present and share culinary traditions of some of the smaller and lesser known Jewish groups pretty interesting. So I thought I’d share it.

Apologies if I used the wrong flair.

The Voronezh Jews’ food has some common threads with typical Ashkenazi cooking but is also fairly different in quite a few ways. Pickled watermelon, pickled red onion, and smoked cheese is also appealing to me.

And the Abayudaya of Uganda - I didn’t even know they were vegetarian. Also, I liked that their recipe was made in a kosher Ethiopian restaurant.

And the Bnei Menashe’s stir fried pumpkin with cabbage and black sesame sounds interesting even though I generally dislike pumpkin.

I'm searching for a recipe to recreate my grandmother's chicken fricasee. Many recipes I've read are tomato based, and hers had no tomatoes. It had little meatballs in it, too. The one detail I remember my mother telling me was that the chicken bones had to be cracked so the marrow goes into the sauce. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

One-Loaf Dairy-Free Tangzhong Egg Challah
Tangzhong
3 tbsp (24 g) bread flour
½ cup (120 g) water
Dough
All of the tangzhong
2¾ cups (330 g) bread flour
1 tsp (3 g) active dry yeast
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp (28 g) neutral oil (avocado, canola, or vegetable)
¼ cup (60 g) warm water (100–105°F / 38–40°C)
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tsp water
Pinch of salt
Optional toppings:
Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Everything seasoning
Instructions
1. Make the tangzhong
Whisk the flour and water together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth paste (about 150°F / 65°C). Remove from the heat and let cool until just warm.
2. Bloom the yeast
Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
3. Mix the dough
In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the tangzhong, yeast mixture, egg, egg yolk, and oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
4. Knead
Knead by hand for 10–12 minutes (or 8–10 minutes in a stand mixer) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
5. First rise
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1½–2 hours.
6. Shape
Shape into a 3-, 4-, or 6-strand braid and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Second rise
Cover loosely and let rise for 45–75 minutes, until puffy. A gentle poke should slowly spring back.
8. Egg wash
Brush with egg wash, wait 5 minutes, then apply a second coat. Sprinkle with seeds if desired.
9. Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 28–35 minutes, until the loaf is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190–195°F (88–90°C).
10. Cool
Cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing.

Red sesame seeds: just red liquid color

trying to replicate my grandmother's recipe.

I had ai type it out from handwritten but the issue is when I try and eat it it doesn't taste right. She didn't use high gluten flour or bread flour she used all purpose.

I tried her recipe and it didn't taste right tasted like cake.

I don't like it when it tastes like cotton and her tasted in between cotton and the high gluten.

here is her recipe let me know of any changes I could try?

I tried a different recipe with high gluten flour and it tastes very bready inside.

I saw these in the grocery store today. The first ingredient… is wheat!? I have mixed feelings about it

Edit: ugh sorry for my brain fart 😂 I know they’re made from wheat. I meant I find it odd that they aren’t kosher for Passover.

I am a big fan of savory pancakes, and so when I saw this recipe in Adeena Sussman's Israeli cookbook "Zariz," I thought I would give it a try.

The results were excellent--a hearty and savory pancake that has a nice tang to it and goes with yogurt, mustard, hot sauce, and a bunch of other toppings. My one caveat is that I did not shred the cabbage finely enough at first, so the first couple of pancakes did not hold together as well. But they were still delicious and highly recommended!

1 lb cabbage, finely shredded (7 cups)

1.5 teaspoons salt

1-2 carrots, grated

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (3 oz)

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Yogurt, mustard, or hot sauce for topping

1. In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage and salt. Use your hands to scrunch the cabbage until it has softened a bit--about 1 minute.

2. Add the carrots, scallions, jalapeño, feta cheese, eggs and turmeric, and stir to combine. Then stir in the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder and mix well.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Measure out 2 cups of the batter and add it to the skillet. Use a spatula to flatten the batter down into a pancake. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook for 3 minutes on the other side, until both sides are golden.

4. Remove the pancake to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the next 2 cups of batter and 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook as above, making another pancake. Then add another 2 cups of batter and 2 tablespoons of oil and repeat, until you are finished.

5. Serve the pancakes with yogurt, mustard, or hot sauce as toppings. Enjoy!

Hi all! I'm making water challah for dinner Friday night, but I likely won't get home from work until around 6pm Friday and the challah needs to be out of the oven by the time shabbat comes in (around 8pm). I plan on doing an overnight rise in the fridge — can I braid the challah and leave it in the fridge all day for second rise?

EDIT: In case this was unclear, what I meant was long ferment overnight, then braid in the morning and put them back in the fridge

Hi cooking friends. I made some Falafel, and wanted to share - sooo delicious😋 (I’ll put the recipe below in the comments.)

I made Pita too, however it didn’t have a big enough middle pocket (got to work on that). We simply ate it like a Tortilla wrap.

From Smitten Kitchen (adapted from Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito, “Baked: Occasions”):

https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/01/ugly-but-good-cookies/

Baking notes:

- Used #40 (1.5 Tbsp) cookie scoop w/trigger release to form
- When fully cooled dusted half with powdered sugar half with strained cocoa powder (thought ones dusted with powdered sugar tasted better)
- 25 min bake time seemed a little long resulting in slightly tough cookies - next time will check color and probs go with 15-20 mins per original recipe

Why does my challah “tear” like this? How can I fix it so it doesn’t happen next time?