Moroccan Challah with Saffron and Almond (traditional Yom Kippur bread)
Moroccan Challah with Saffron and Almond is the traditional Yom Kippur Bread we eat prior to fasting.
Servings: 6 loaves
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp saffron
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 lb blanched almonds
Dough:
- 9 cups flour
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Dough:
- Make a well in the flour, fill it with oil, eggs, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly adding the remaining water little by little. Knead the dough energetically, then let it rise for 40-50 minutes.
- Dilute the yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water.
- Split it into 12 balls. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin to form a circle about 1/4 inch thick.
Filling:
- Spread a small quantity of the almond, saffron, oil mixture on the surface of six circles of dough then top the garnished bread with the other remaining six circles.
- Pinch both breads to seal them and decorate them by cutting 1 inch-long slits around the breads. Place the 6 breads on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Cover them and let them rise once more for 30-50 minutes.
- Brush egg yolk over the top of the breads and bake them at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Notes
For Yom Kippur we garnish the bread with a mixture of almonds, oil and saffron.
Some families make small round breads which they garnish with a mixture of 1/2 lb grilled almonds and 1/2 lb raisins.
According to individual taste, breads may be round or oblong, large or small, garnished or not.