Mount Sinai Challah: The Forgotten Treasure of Spanish Jewry

In the world of Jewish baking traditions, there is one creation that has almost disappeared from collective memory - Mount Sinai Challah. This magnificent bread, also called "Seven Heavens Bread," was born during the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry and is much more than just a festive Shavuot bread - it's a culinary work of art with deep symbolism.

A Forgotten Treasure from the Golden Age

Unlike the famous Key Challah that many bake after Passover, Mount Sinai Challah is much rarer. It primarily survived in the Jewish community of Thessaloniki, but almost completely vanished after the Holocaust, when most of the community was murdered.

Although its exact origins haven't been extensively documented, Jewish food scholars agree that it first appeared on the Iberian Peninsula during the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. The impressive structure of the challah consists of seven rings of dough surrounding a central "mountain" - Mount Sinai itself - and is decorated with small symbolic figures made of dough.

Symbolism in Every Layer

Seven is a number with deep meaning - some claim the rings symbolize the seven heavens, while others say they represent the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot. The symbols decorating the challah - Torah scroll, Jacob's ladder, bird, fish, and hamsa - are all charged with religious and cultural significance.

In some communities, the challah was placed on the holiday table as a decoration during the festive meal, but was eaten only in the early hours of the night to strengthen the body during Tikkun Leil Shavuot - the all-night Torah study session.

Preserving an Ancient Tradition

Adopting baking traditions like Mount Sinai Challah provides a deep cultural connection to rich Jewish heritage. It's a perfect way to celebrate Shavuot, tell the story of the giving of the Torah, and bring a piece of history to the holiday table.

Abbreviated Recipe for Mount Sinai Challah Ingredients:

• 500g flour

• 7g dry yeast

• 50g sugar

• 10g salt

• 50g oil

• 220g water

• Egg for brushing

• Sesame or poppy seeds for decoration (optional)

Brief Preparation:

1. Dough: Knead all ingredients together until smooth and elastic. Let rise for 60-90 minutes.

2. Dividing the Dough:

   • For the mountain: 5 balls of 50g each

   • For the rings: 7 balls with increasing weights from 35g to 90g

   • For the symbols: 5 balls of 25g each

3. Shaping:

   • Shape the mountain from 4 dough strands in a lattice braid and place on the fifth dough ball

   • Surround the mountain with 7 dough rings

   • Shape symbols from the remaining balls (ladder, tablets of the covenant, birds, fish, and hamsa)

4. Baking: Let rise for another hour, brush with egg, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 25 minutes until golden.