Golden-brown, sesame seed-covered braided challah loaves sit on a wooden cutting board - Olga Mazyarkina/Getty Images The idea of baking sweet, eggy challah at home can be daunting. Jewish cooking ...

No matter how good a bakery challah tastes, baking it myself tastes better. Golden and fragrant and topped with toasted seeds, mine will be on the table for the first night of Hanukkah on Tuesday.

Beautifully braided, rich, and lightly sweet, freshly baked challah is delicious on its own or smeared with softened butter. After a few days, it's great dunked in custard and made into French toast ...

Six-strand braid (see photos above): This, incredibly, is easier than it seems. Cut dough for one loaf into 6 pieces and roll into ropes about 12 inches long, thick in center with tapered ends. Line ...

Challah comes in many forms, and when preparing for Rosh Hashanah, Jewish cooks often follow the custom of their ancestors by adding raisins to their golden round holiday loaves. The practice ...

Before beautifully plaited challah appears at the table, one must endure the daunting task of trying to braid it. See how it's done in a straightforward manner, so you end up with wonderfully woven ...

Today, industrial logic has not only mechanized bread, but also the bonds that once gathered around it.

The best holiday dinners go down a little like this: the host or hostess drops off a juicy, slow-cooked brisket, a platter of latkes, and a golden homemade challah atop a linen-topped dining room ...

Aykroyd isn’t the only person who feels this way. The actor and former “Saturday Night Live” star is one of many fans of challah, the braided egg bread that has its roots in Jewish kitchens but also ...