2012-11-29
Challah making with Sunday Funday
Sunday, November 25th our little bakers rolled up their sleeves and got their little hands covered in flour and dough as they learnt to braid and bake challah, they decorated challah covers and learnt the bracha. We even had time to celebrate Abigail's birthday !
Challah recipe
Hi everyone
Here is our challah recipe just in time for shabbat
Challah recipe
Where it may be eaten with meat dishes, milk and butter are ommitted and oil or margarine and water used.
Yeast : fresh yeast bought at your local boulangére or instant yeast bought at local supermarket. 25g fresh = 1 sachet (15ml) instant. The fresh yeast must be a pale grey colour. If you mix it with a little sugar, it becomes liquid and can then be added to the other ingredients.
1 packet instant yeast or 25g fresh yeast
45ml (3tbs) sugar
5 x 250ml flour
15ml (1 Tbs) salt
3 eggs, lighly beaten
60g (1/4 cup) soft butter, margarine or oil
310ml (1 and a 1/4 cup) warm water or milk (approx)
Sift all dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Make a well and Add yeast according to your type. Then add lightly beaten eggs and milk, mix together with wooden spoon. Then add softened butter. Start mixing with fingers.
Turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (This takes max. 10 minutes). Do not overwork dough as it may avoid dough rising.
Place the dough in a large bowl (at least 3 times bigger than dough) lightly oil sides of bowl to avoid it sticking, cover with a warm damp cloth or cling wrap and leave in a warm place to rise to double its size.
After the dough has risen, return it to the floured surface; divide into two for loaves. *
Divide each half into 3 and roll each piece into a long sausage.
Plait crossing the braid over and not under. Do not braid too tight. Always bring the outside braid to the centre
**Cover and leave to rise till double its size
Brush with yellow of egg and sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds or just plain.
Bake at 180°C for about 25-30 minutes or until golden.
*/**If you intend freezing stop at this step or just after braiding.
Braiding : divide into three long sausages. Pinch the tops together and fold under. Cross the right over the centre and then left over the centre through till end of bread. Pinch bottoms together and fold under. Ensure that the tops and bottoms are well pinched together and folded under to avoid it separating during baking...
Here is our challah recipe just in time for shabbat
Challah recipe
Where it may be eaten with meat dishes, milk and butter are ommitted and oil or margarine and water used.
Yeast : fresh yeast bought at your local boulangére or instant yeast bought at local supermarket. 25g fresh = 1 sachet (15ml) instant. The fresh yeast must be a pale grey colour. If you mix it with a little sugar, it becomes liquid and can then be added to the other ingredients.
1 packet instant yeast or 25g fresh yeast
45ml (3tbs) sugar
5 x 250ml flour
15ml (1 Tbs) salt
3 eggs, lighly beaten
60g (1/4 cup) soft butter, margarine or oil
310ml (1 and a 1/4 cup) warm water or milk (approx)
Sift all dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Make a well and Add yeast according to your type. Then add lightly beaten eggs and milk, mix together with wooden spoon. Then add softened butter. Start mixing with fingers.
Turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (This takes max. 10 minutes). Do not overwork dough as it may avoid dough rising.
Place the dough in a large bowl (at least 3 times bigger than dough) lightly oil sides of bowl to avoid it sticking, cover with a warm damp cloth or cling wrap and leave in a warm place to rise to double its size.
After the dough has risen, return it to the floured surface; divide into two for loaves. *
Divide each half into 3 and roll each piece into a long sausage.
Plait crossing the braid over and not under. Do not braid too tight. Always bring the outside braid to the centre
**Cover and leave to rise till double its size
Brush with yellow of egg and sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds or just plain.
Bake at 180°C for about 25-30 minutes or until golden.
*/**If you intend freezing stop at this step or just after braiding.
Braiding : divide into three long sausages. Pinch the tops together and fold under. Cross the right over the centre and then left over the centre through till end of bread. Pinch bottoms together and fold under. Ensure that the tops and bottoms are well pinched together and folded under to avoid it separating during baking...
2012-09-23
Sunday Funday 2012-2013
Here are the provisional dates for the upcoming classes :
14 Oct - getting to know each other and a quick look at Sukkoth
18 Nov - Shabbat : baking challah and making challah covers
2 Dec - Chanukah : menorah (this date could change should we have a community party)
27 Jan - Tu B'shvat : Plant a tree
17 Feb - Purim : baking hamantaschen
24 Mar - Passover - visit to MAHJ (date to be confirmed)
14 April - Jacob
26 May - Shavuot : Giving of the torah
9 June - Sunday Funday picnic
Please note that these dates or activities are provisional and could change
14 Oct - getting to know each other and a quick look at Sukkoth
18 Nov - Shabbat : baking challah and making challah covers
2 Dec - Chanukah : menorah (this date could change should we have a community party)
27 Jan - Tu B'shvat : Plant a tree
17 Feb - Purim : baking hamantaschen
24 Mar - Passover - visit to MAHJ (date to be confirmed)
14 April - Jacob
26 May - Shavuot : Giving of the torah
9 June - Sunday Funday picnic
Please note that these dates or activities are provisional and could change
2012-02-11
TZEDAKAH
Tzedakah
It is easy to put some money in a tzedakah box, bring some food to the food box at the supermarket, bring an old coat to the homeless clothing drive. Doing tzedakah is important and can be easy for us sometimes, but being tzedakah is harder and takes practice.
So what is tzedakah? Tzedakah is mitzvah (a commandment). It means righteous or just (justice). In other words being fair. Like when playing in the school playground and giving each friend a turn, that is being fair or being just. Sharing your toys with someone. Last week we learnt to say the blessing over the challah, and we said it because we are thankful for food, but their are others who do not have food and that is sad. And if we think of them more often and do something to change it, doing something good without expecting something back, that is being tzedakah. It is also recognising that some situations are not fair and taking the time help make things better.
The act of doing tzedakah is important. Doing good towards someone is easy but we don't alway think of it or taking the time to do it. How often do we say 'I want this or I want that' but wait and think of what it is like when we receive something we did not expect. Instead think how we would make someone feel by giving them something they need. Acts of tzedakah can be in holding the door for an elderly person when they come in behind you. Giving toys you don't play with to someone who don't have toys. Helping your parents. There isn't a specific way to give, but many different ways of giving. It doesn't matter why or where or when you give, the importance is recognising that at times we need not be on the receiving end.
So today we will make our tzedakah boxes with a project in mind. Each week before shabbat check your pockets to find coins and put them in your tzedakah box. Over the weeks, and until your box feels heavy and also in keeping with Tu Bshvat which was celebrated recently, we will get together our full boxes and take them to KKL in Paris so they plant a tree for the kids pf Sunday Funday in Israel.
It is easy to put some money in a tzedakah box, bring some food to the food box at the supermarket, bring an old coat to the homeless clothing drive. Doing tzedakah is important and can be easy for us sometimes, but being tzedakah is harder and takes practice.
So what is tzedakah? Tzedakah is mitzvah (a commandment). It means righteous or just (justice). In other words being fair. Like when playing in the school playground and giving each friend a turn, that is being fair or being just. Sharing your toys with someone. Last week we learnt to say the blessing over the challah, and we said it because we are thankful for food, but their are others who do not have food and that is sad. And if we think of them more often and do something to change it, doing something good without expecting something back, that is being tzedakah. It is also recognising that some situations are not fair and taking the time help make things better.
The act of doing tzedakah is important. Doing good towards someone is easy but we don't alway think of it or taking the time to do it. How often do we say 'I want this or I want that' but wait and think of what it is like when we receive something we did not expect. Instead think how we would make someone feel by giving them something they need. Acts of tzedakah can be in holding the door for an elderly person when they come in behind you. Giving toys you don't play with to someone who don't have toys. Helping your parents. There isn't a specific way to give, but many different ways of giving. It doesn't matter why or where or when you give, the importance is recognising that at times we need not be on the receiving end.
2012-01-17
January 15th was Shabbat Funday
Shabbat was the theme of our lesson this week, we took a closer look at everything and more that was in our Shabbat box.
We lit the candles, practised the kiddush, washed hands and blessed the warm challah before eating it, then it was time to hit the kitchen, roll up our sleeves and learn to make and braid our very own challah to take home.
We read the story of creation, how God separated light from darkness on the first day, then on the second day made the heaven up above so the sun, moon, and stars had a place to live. Then on the third day, he made all things that grow from seeds and that gives us fruits and vegetables to eat, (all our favourite ones and even those we don't like so much). On the fourth day God made the sun, moon, and stars to light up the sky by day and night. On the fifth day he made the fish to swim in the waters and the birds to fly in the air, on the sixth day he made the animals big and small. He also made Adam and Eve the first people to live on the earth. They all live together and took care of one another.
On the seventh day, after all this work, God stopped making things, he took time to give a blessing for the seventh day. A blessing (in hebrew we say a bracha) which is a way of giving thanks for something wonderful. This day that God blessed is called the Shabbat. It is a day that we copy God and we too rest. Shabbat a day of rest...
Once our story was done and learnt the brachot, we took turns to say something wonderful about the person sitting next to us, our way of blessing everyone...
Then while our challah was in the oven we learnt about havdallah. We lit our special candle, smelled the spices, and then extinguished the flame in the juice.
Before leaving we wished our friends 'shavuah tov'...
Photos :
We lit the candles, practised the kiddush, washed hands and blessed the warm challah before eating it, then it was time to hit the kitchen, roll up our sleeves and learn to make and braid our very own challah to take home.
We read the story of creation, how God separated light from darkness on the first day, then on the second day made the heaven up above so the sun, moon, and stars had a place to live. Then on the third day, he made all things that grow from seeds and that gives us fruits and vegetables to eat, (all our favourite ones and even those we don't like so much). On the fourth day God made the sun, moon, and stars to light up the sky by day and night. On the fifth day he made the fish to swim in the waters and the birds to fly in the air, on the sixth day he made the animals big and small. He also made Adam and Eve the first people to live on the earth. They all live together and took care of one another.
On the seventh day, after all this work, God stopped making things, he took time to give a blessing for the seventh day. A blessing (in hebrew we say a bracha) which is a way of giving thanks for something wonderful. This day that God blessed is called the Shabbat. It is a day that we copy God and we too rest. Shabbat a day of rest...
Once our story was done and learnt the brachot, we took turns to say something wonderful about the person sitting next to us, our way of blessing everyone...
Then while our challah was in the oven we learnt about havdallah. We lit our special candle, smelled the spices, and then extinguished the flame in the juice.
Before leaving we wished our friends 'shavuah tov'...
Photos :
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| Our host lighting the candles |
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| And thanks to JD and his talent we enjoyed a delicious goûter... |
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