A Baker’s Dozen

I am not a baker – my kid’s learned early on that I would not be the mom who made cookies for a school function or a homemade birthday cake. The thought of shlepping out my mixer makes me nervous. (So why do I have one? Isn’t it a requirement? I am pretty sure they told us it was when we got married.) For Pesach I have my standard one-bowl Brownie recipe and one-bowl Blondie recipe, but all year, it almost never happens.

And yet, the box of Tribes A Dozen challah mix was sitting on my counter waiting to be made. So, on the shortest Friday of the year, while I was babysitting for two of my grandchildren, I opened the box.

Putting a large bowl on the counter, I poured the mix in – that was easy. Make a well and add the water and yeast – still easy. The yeast has to bubble – not quite sure what that should look like, so I ran to google it. Add the egg and honey, and begin the mixing, which I did by hand.

Then let it rise – that was the easy part and it gave me time to finish making the roasted vegetables.

Back to the dough, which instead of braiding (something else I don’t like to do) I separated into three round balls. I added zaatar to one, poppy seeds to another and left the third plain. Let is rise again and then into the oven.

The house smelled really yummy and, 30 minutes later, “homemade” challah was ready.

Simple and easy – and it tasted good too.

Which was the goal of Leah Haddad, founder and president. Leah began making challah after a health crisis and found it to be spiritually and physically healing. And it was something she wanted to share with others.

Want the smell of challah to fill you home, but don’t want to pull out the mixer? Want something made with simple, wholesome ingredients? Then this is perfect for you as the whole-wheat version we used is made with organic whole grain wheat flour, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, sea salt, and organic flavor. And yes, there is also a regular and spelt version.

So pick up a box today. Tribes A Dozen can be purchased via their website, on amazon.com and in major retail establishments.