Triple Pomegranate Challah

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A slice of pomegranate challah

My friend Molly is always making wonderful challah variations, which besides making my mouth water, also really make me regret how far away I live! Normally I don’t do anything untraditional with my challot, for a couple of reasons. I don’t really make challah during the year, because it’s just me alone, and I go out to eat on Friday night after services. So I only make challah for High Holidays, and I make a somewhat traditional fruited challah (next time try half raisins and half chopped apricots, it’s awesome) and I’m done for the year.

Proofing yeast in pomegranate juice

Starting to mix the challah dough

But this year I was so inspired by the pictures of What Jew Wanna Eat’s Pomegranate Beet Challah, and by the idea of pomegranate in a challah. However, I’m not really into beets, and was trying to think of what else I could do with pomegranate molasses. I googled “pomegranate challah”, of course, and found this pomegranate challah that used the seeds, and the two ideas kind of mixed in my mind.

Drizzling pomegranate molasses into the challah dough

Starting to mix and knead the pomegranate challah dough

What if, instead of stuffing a challah with pomegranate molasses, I used it as the sweetener? And taking it a step further, what if the liquid was pomegranate juice? And then using pomegranate arils…. it could be a loaded, three pomegranate challah!

Pomegranate challah dough starting to rise

Putting extra pomegranate molasses and pomegranate arils into the dough

I halved my standard challah recipe, used pomegranate juice instead of water, and made pomegranate molasses to use instead of the honey. I added a little extra pomegranate molasses (the remainder of my homemade pomegranate molasses) with the pomegranate arils, and then mixed it in and braided it. The braids were super messy – next time I think I’ll just coil it into a round instead of trying to knead everything in and braid it.

Rolling up the challah dough with the pomegranate arils and molasses inside

Rolling out the dough to braid it

The color of the dough is a little off-putting to me (my friend Karen, who was taking the pictures, didn’t have the same reaction I did), but it bakes up fine, and the finished loaf is a much nicer shade.

Braiding the pomegranate challah

Two pomegranate round challot, ready to proof before baking

I brought one of the loaves to a second night Rosh Hashanah dinner, and we agree it’s pretty interesting and worth making. It doesn’t taste particularly “pomegranate-y” but it definitely tastes wonderfully fruity. I think it’s a great addition to any High Holiday or Sukkot table, and I hope you’ll give it a try!

Pomegranate challah

A slice of pomegranate challah

3 thoughts on “Triple Pomegranate Challah

  1. That really does look good. you inspired my family made challah together yesterday,
    and it was wonderful. Eszter had added honey, which i think complemented it nicely.
    I added butter to the egg wash though eszter didn’t want me to. ( i think it was better !).
    I will probably add just a little honey to it next time as well, as an experiment.

    1. I’ve never thought of putting butter in an egg wash! I do know people who will sprinkle sugar on the challah after the egg wash, and I feel like someone mentioned a honey wash to me at some point, but I don’t remember. You’ll have to let me know how it turns out!

  2. The slices you brought us were grand! Let us know what you are doing with those turnip bunches you got today and thanks for all your support!

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