One of the most important Jewish traditions is the ritual of observing the Sabbath, or Shabbat, which begins every Friday at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown. It is supposed to be a day of rest, reflection, and study, and for Orthodox Jews (read: not me) it also means no driving, using electricity, or doing work of any kind. One of my favorite components of Shabbat is challah, which is a braided loaf of egg bread. I really enjoy making it for my family, but I have trouble following the other Shabbat "rules," although I think I'd be better off if I did.
(this happens to be my first attempt at a 6-braid challah)
Today I sprinkled the yeast into the warm water and it bubbled and fizzed, then clouded up. The buttery smell wafted up at me as I stirred with my wooden spoon. I leveled off the sugar with the flat edge of a knife, spillage and grit.
I stir, scraping the small clumps of flour down from the sides of my favorite melamine mixing bowl.
It's methodical. I'm on auto-pilot. I know the measurements by heart. But the essence of Shabbat is lost on me. I don't know how to sit still or relax. There is always something to be done--laundry, cooking, cleaning, bathing and schlepping the kids, bathing and walking the dog, grocery shopping, ironing, etc. Having a pile of dirty dishes in the sink irks me. So do overflowing hampers. And empty refrigerators. Weeds in the yard. I can't keep up.
The mixture in the bowl thickens and my arm tires from the effort of slowly incorporating the flour. I am heady with the scent of the dough. My hands move themselves by memory, my brain is off. The stirring, the mixing, the papery feeling of flour on my palms. The grit of sugar on the floor under my bare feet, twisting the bowl this way and that as I make my final sweep around the bowl---it's like coming home.
I lay a towel over the top of the dough and let the challah rest and rise. See? Even the challah instinctively knows how to relax:
And I've suddenly realized---that times like these, wherein I'm doing something by rote, something habitual, ritual, and comforting---that this is where I find my stolen moments of relaxation. Because I don't really know how to do it any other way.
How do you find time to relax? Where do you carve out your stolen moments?
For my challah recipe, please go HERE, where it was featured about a year ago.
36 comments:
I made challah at home for years- mostly when the monkeys were younger- it was something I could do quietly on a Friday afternoon while they napped- Now that I have my fav bakery down the street I support the local Jewish economy plus it is also a cafe so it's a good 'meeting' spot-
My husband and I joke that it is the best place to network-
My ritual is making a whole chicken, matzo ball soup and setting a white table cloth-
We also have a tradition of 'Highlight of the week'- the monkeys love doing this-
Have a good shabbas.
I'm not Jewisg but I love Challah - my mom will buy it for me once in awhile just to surprise me!
That looks yummy!! Usually going to the tanning salon is how I relax! I have 12 minutes of uninterrupted, peaceful relaxation! Lol...
OH that looks delicious.. I would have to say cooking is my time if I am not overrun with kids as well. Could I talk you into a recipe?? Prety please pretty pretty please.. I know I am not Jewish by Birth but I am technically through the blood adoption of Jesus does that count
You made me hungry!
I get my relaxation through sewing, painting, coloring, etc. I'm the artsy-fartsy type which is a bit hilarious because I never considered myself so until the kids came along.
Hubby's co-worker is Jewish and it was at their home when we first ate Challah! Very good!
i'm commenting later. because sadly, i'm on the go go go. but this is saturday, and my sabbath is tomorrow. but i'm going to chew on this and comment later. because the art of slowing down is all but dead in the USA.
thinking and pondering and will be back.
in the meantime, how bout that recipe?? i'd love to give it a try.
shabbat, shalom!
As a non jew am I allowed to learn how to make this? ;] I love making bread. I know we talked about banana/pumpkin love the other day. Baking relaxes me, I love the measuring, mixing and making something comforting for my family and friends. I usually bake more then we need because I like too and then give it out too others because it makes me feel good. Chris' employees usually get most of the runoff, they see my cupcake carrier and get excited!
Girl, nothing relaxes me more than baking. That's a pretty nice looking Challah you've got there.
Oh, my! That looks absolutely delicious. While it can be difficult for me when life is too busy, I'm pretty selfish about "me" time during the day so I can relax and just breathe for a few. Ella could go without a nap, but we have "rest" time just for that. In my faith, we consider Sunday a day of rest. We commit a solid chunk of time to church, then refrain from shopping, working, etc. Sometimes we gather with friends or family. When I was younger, I thought this stole my weekend time sometimes, but now I treasure the day.
I steal some me time late at night. Everyone else is peacefully dreaming and I will draw a warm bubble bath and pour a glass of wine. Even then though, I can't shut my mind off. Sometimes, I wish I could just flip a switch and have zero thoughts. Absolutely none.
Mmmm, your challah smells good from here!
LOL on the religious post. I lost a follower in June when I posted about a mission trip I'd done as a kid. And I definitely didn't consider that a religious post - just more about what I was doing for my 16th birthday.
Stolen moments - running of course. And lately I've been listening to reflective sorts of podcasts when I run instead of music. So I feel like I'm getting me-time, exercise, and intellectual growth all within a run. Gotta love multitasking ;-)
Yum Erin! That looks so good. :)
I love to read, take a walk, and being in the mountains always helps me relax...
Lovely post Erin - I like how you meld your thoughts together with your bread making and the conclusions you draw. I think in the modern world truly relaxing is hard for most people to do and being a Mom to young children makes it doubly so with endless to do lists revolving in your head and more. For me, walking and hiking are how I relax, my thoughts slow and allow me to mull over things as I do so. Also reading - I often these days find it hard to get really into a book (braing whizzing off some place else) but when I do I totally get lost somewhere else and I always read before I go to sleep at night.
Relax? Huh? What is that??
Seriously though...yoga has really helped me relax lately. It sounds totally cliche and all zen and crap, but it totally works. It is helping me let go of baggage that I don't need!
You are a crazy bitch!
Are you kidding me? I'd be so frustrated by the end of that process I'd shove toothpicks under my fingernails!!!!
A hot bath and a good book = relaxation! Throw in hubby entertaining and putting the kids to bed is even better!
I really love the Jewish traditions...I dated a Jew for 3+ years and was preparing myself for wifehood...but that didn't happen.
As for rest and relaxation..about 1 am I grab a cup of coffee and watch a bad TV show. I must find a better way!
"I swear this is not a post about religion..."
Damn! You're talking to a man who LIKES posts about religion, esp if they're CRITICAL of it.
I used to bake challah and other yeast breads, but what I REALLY love to bake are crackers, biscuits, and cornbreads--but especially crackers. I sure could use a piece of challah about now though. If I had one, I would dunk it in vanilla soymilk, yes I would.
This is so true...if I try to relax, I can't. But it's when I'm doing my mindless "chores" that I do. :)
Wow, totally LOVE this post! And I would love to try that Challah, i'll be borrowing the recipe!
When do I relax...?... hmmm... relax... hmmm, i don't recognize that word. :)
But I have attempted peace, quiet, and stillness in a hot tub while Daddy watches the monkeys (get into everything)!
I too used to bake my own challah, but mostly when Josh was young and we did it together as an activity together... it was precious. Now he is a teenager, we have so much other things going on, we don't even always get to have Shabbat... which doesn't sound good... I know...
I find my relaxation time when everyone else in the house is asleep....and reading.
I just can't seem to do relaxed with people around me.
If I cooked...I would totally make myself some challah today, it looks so yummy!!
My aunt and uncle don't make their own challa bread, they're too busy! In fact, I don't even think I can remember a Friday or Saturday that they weren't taking the girls to soccer, dance, girl scouts, etc. I know that they do make it a point on Friday's to eat together, bless their store bought challa and quickly eat their meal before running to do the next thing.
As for me, I barely relax. After the kids go to bed I take an hour to watch a show I put on the DVR. It's nice to actually hear what the characters are saying.
This is such a beautiful post. Your writing, as always, is exquisite. I love how you described making the dough for the bread. I made bread pretty often too, and even though I end up with a super messy kitchen coated with flour, I also find the process relaxing. Its something my dad taught me as a kid and I've always enjoyed it ever since. My boys love making bread too. Esp. Diego who calls the dough "doughnuts" and eats as many handfuls of it as he can steal.
As far as relaxing in general, I agree that it is hard to find the time, esp. with young children in the house. But you are absolutely right that it is activities like these where we steal a little of relaxation, even in the day to day work of life. xoxoxo
I read or take a walk. I don't have that urge to always be doing something. Sometimes I wish I did.
Loved this Erin! How wonderful that you can make this bread from scratch and memory, I'm impressed! One of these days, I just might try to make it for my husband who would be delighted.
Your question about relaxing, isn't that what blogging is for?
Cooking to me is relaxing...I love to do it
Relax? What is that? I'm a lot like you - there's always something to do and I have trouble being still. I crave it, long for it, beg for it, but when I get the time, I don't know how to just be. Every so often, like the 4th this year, I find us with nowhere to be, nothing to do, and suddenly I am incapable of doing anything but laying low. Those days are very far between (read months), but when they happen, I cherish them. So my 4th may not have been exciting for most, but for me it was heaven!
***Ally
that looked DELISH!!! Can you send some to PA?
I hardly relax lately, but when I do,,,since John drives in and home I get to read. I try to just lose myself in the book..and relax before we get to Daycare and home etc.
then I do let him try to put them down at night and I go in and watch my DVR'd stuff, if I am in bed and just lost in my shows, I don't care if they jump in and out. :)
but of course I know what it feels like to never be able to just sit. Ever since they were born, it's more than crazy...like time is slipping away with all the stuff "I GOTTA DO" :)
First, you made me hungry. Second, you made me wish I was a Jew. (Then I remembered that we also have a Sabbath.) I'm a HUGE fan of a day of rest. Don't always do it, but I invoke it as my "legal right" whenever I can. And Erin, your piece was beautiful. I found that reading how you make the Challah was very soothing and relaxing.
I think the point of Sabbath of any kind is to remind us that we are spiritual beings on a human journey... and to shift the focus to the 1st part for just a little bit can work wonders in the other 98% of our lives.
I'm glad you posted the recipe . . . I was going to ask for it! LoL :)
I made a Challah with my mom once when I was little and it was hard as a brick. My dad said we could use it as a weapon if a thief ever broke in. Nice.
I have a hard time sitting still and doing nothing as well. There is always something to be done around here. But there are times, like you, where I find myself on auto-pilot...my mind somewhere else. And I suppose that's my way of relaxing as well. Never thought about it like that but I think you're onto something!
Since I have actually made your challah recipe, I will attest it is the BEST one I have used and I have made several.
I'm only just getting around to reading this post and I love it. It's so true that when we do things on autopilot, almost mindlessly, that we find the down time we need and often search for. I've never made challah, but totally want to. I'll have to check out your recipe.
I worked at a bakery and my favorite thing was to egg wash the bread. I got it perfect everytime, no un shiny spots on my challah!
One of the theories of Tao is that you get so good at something that you dont have to think about it, and it becomes a form of meditation. Thats how I feel about bread baking and it sounds like your in the tao when making your challah!
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