Are challahs allowed to bake into each other/touch?

amother

Wed, Jan 27 2021, 5:30 pm

Is it okay to let challahs bake into each other (if they end up touching while they rise on the baking sheet, and then they bake into each other), or does cutting them when they are done baking make them unwhole, and thus not fit for lechem mishneh?

Thank you

rising hero

Wed, Jan 27 2021, 5:40 pm

Im assuming its not a problem. Very often when you buy bilkelech from a bakery you have to break them off from each other and its ok.

amother

Vermilion

Wed, Jan 27 2021, 6:48 pm

I believe when you put them in the oven they have to be separate, but if they join whilst baking that’s fine.

A way to prevent them touching before they go in the oven, is the put a slice of baking paper between them for the second rise, and then if they rise to nearly touching you don’t have to worry because the paper is keeping them separate.

little neshamala

Wed, Jan 27 2021, 9:30 pm

My Rav said it's fine if they grow in the oven and end up touching, and its fine to pull them apart.
BUT he said its not ok for me to make dinner rolls that to begin with are purposely put next to each other in one large pan, touching, and then after they are baked you pu them apart-that he said is not ok.

daagahminayin

Wed, Jan 27 2021, 10:56 pm

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

Smart.

trixx

Wed, Jan 27 2021, 11:43 pm

little neshamala wrote:

Interesting, we have used (bdieved) a pull apart Challah as lechem mishna
Bc each section was formed individually it's really a bunch of rolls so broken apart, two complete rolls are lechem mishna.
That's what I was told

amother

Forestgreen

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 4:36 am

trixx wrote:

No... I really don’t think so because that was baked as a whole challah. It was meant to be used as one. Just because you can pull off a piece that looks like a roll, that piece was meant to be part of a whole challah.
If you baked individual rolls that accidentally got stuck then it is okay to pull them apart.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 5:57 am

little neshamala wrote:

Oooh, this is fascinating. Do you remember why he said this, or where he got it from?

Serious question, as I was planning on making rolls tonight.

So many biscuit and roll recipes specifically say that they need to touch while baking, or else they won't get high and fluffy. They need the support on the sides.

Maybe he meant that it's not OK for a Shabbos kiddush, but it's OK for mid week dinners. I'd love some clarification.

amother

Vermilion

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 6:24 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

I’m pretty sure it’s fine for mid week. You don’t need anything whole to say hamotzi mid week- can use a slice of bread. It’s just Shabbos has to be two full loaves.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 6:26 am

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

I’m pretty sure it’s fine for mid week. You don’t need anything whole to say hamotzi mid week- can use a slice of bread. It’s just Shabbos has to be two full loaves.

OK, that makes sense. I was getting ready to bake mezanot rolls, and didn't want to make a mistake. Thanks for clarifying!

amother

Navy

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 12:28 pm

I don't know the answer, but to be safe, I open the oven 5 minutes before I take out the challas and separate the stucked together challas. This way they bake "alone" for the last 5 minutes.

Sprinkles1

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 12:54 pm

amother [ Navy ] wrote:

I don't know the answer, but to be safe, I open the oven 5 minutes before I take out the challas and separate the stucked together challas. This way they bake "alone" for the last 5 minutes.

Yeah, my mother also always did that. If any of them were stuck together, she would pull them apart and bake another 2 minutes. My dh says its not necessary.

ShishKabob

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 12:59 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

Off topic, but maybe try baking them in individual small tins/pans like that the walls of the pan keep them growing upwards.! Happy Baking and I hope they come out delicious!

amother

Forestgreen

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 1:54 pm

Sprinkles1 wrote:

Yeah, my mother also always did that. If any of them were stuck together, she would pull them apart and bake another 2 minutes. My dh says its not necessary.

She probably baked them an extra few minutes because the sides that were touching didn’t get fully baked.
Mine never stick together because I bake the challos in individual pans.

Sprinkles1

Thu, Jan 28 2021, 2:18 pm

amother [ Forestgreen ] wrote:

She probably baked them an extra few minutes because the sides that were touching didn’t get fully baked.
Mine never stick together because I bake the challos in individual pans.

No, she said shes doing it to make sure they're whole for lechem mishna. No idea if she was just doing it on her own, or she got such a psak.