THE MYSTICAL SIX-STRAND LOAF

This week’s loaf of challah: a six-stranded braid.  Looks a bit like a sea of breadly sand dunes.

There is a certain mystical quality to a loaf of challah made by braiding six strands.  Traditionalists will tell you that each strand represents one of the six days of Creation: the resulting bread-loaf is served up at the onset of the seventh day, the Sabbath on which the Eternal One Himself loafed.

In this particular instance, I could tell you that each strand represents a decade of my life.

Symbolism aside, I used a six-strand braid for the sheer challenge of it, as well as for the aesthetics.  I am pleased to report that I was able to put this bad boy together without having to stop halfway through and reroll the strands... a first.

Was it any good?  Why, yes.  Yes, it was.  Not one crumb survived the evening.