Better Than Brioche

First mentioned in the Old Testament, challah is a hybrid between bread and cake that forms an important part of many Jewish holiday rituals. Mikkelsen’s Pastry Shop started baking the braided loaves shortly after they opened in 2000, and now turns out several dozen each Friday for Temple Shalom; they also accommodate special orders for occasions such as weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs. “It’s a delicious, brioche-based bread,” says Elizabeth Mikkelsen, “and a lot of non-Jewish people use it to make French toast. Challah’s popularity is growing—we now have customers who turn up on Fridays because they know we make it, and they hope to find a few extra loaves available.”