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Parve
Medium
12 Servings
Allergens 
2 Hours
Diets
These beautiful mini loaves make a fabulous Purim seudah surprise! Aside from the pops of color that will grace your table, the infusion of flavor really enhances the basic challah dough. Yields 24 mini loaves
3/4 cup roasted and salted pistachio nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped frozen spinach, defrosted
1 tablespoon Heaven & Earth Lemon Juice
1 clove garlic or 1 cube Gefen Frozen Garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Gefen Olive Oil
pepper, to taste
6 cloves garlic, minced or 6 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic
3 tablespoons oil, divided
3 tablespoons Gefen Paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large Spanish onions, diced
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 ounces (85 grams) fresh yeast
6 cups lukewarm water, divided
1 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons salt
6 pounds (2 and 3/4 kilograms) challah flour
4 eggs
1 cup oil
water, for brushing
melted margarine, for brushing
Place pistachios into a food processor. Add basil leaves, parsley, spinach, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
Pulse to form a paste. Slowly add olive oil.
Season with pepper and set aside.
Sauté garlic in one tablespoon oil until lightly browned and fragrant.
Add paprika, salt, and additional two tablespoons oil and mix well. Set aside.
Sauté onions in oil until soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Add salt and poppy seeds and mix well. Set aside.
Once all three mixtures are ready, prepare the challah dough: Dissolve yeast in one cup lukewarm water and add one tablespoon sugar.
In a large mixing bowl, place the salt, then flour, and then one cup sugar on top. Once the yeast bubbles, add it to the bowl on top of the sugar.
Add eggs, oil, and remaining five cups of water. Knead for about eight minutes until you have a soft dough. Let dough rest for about five minutes. The dough will be on the soft and sticky side.
Remove dough from mixer and divide into three even parts using a sharp knife. Return the first piece to the mixer. Pour in the onion and poppy mixture and knead for several minutes until incorporated into the dough. You may need to add a bit of flour if it becomes too sticky.
Remove dough from mixer and place in a lightly oiled bowl to rise. Spray some cooking spray over the top of the dough and cover with a moist towel or plastic bag.
Repeat with the second piece of dough and the pesto, and finally with the third piece of dough and the paprika-garlic mixture. Place all three bowls next to each other and cover with a single large towel. (According to some poskim, in order to make the brachah of hafrashas challah, the bowls must be touching each other and covered with the same cloth.)
Let doughs rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Punch down and let rise again for an additional 45 minutes. After the dough has risen, separate challah. (<a href=”https://www.kosher.com/lifestyle/all-about-hafrashas-challah-17″>More on hafrashat challah here.</a>)
Turn each dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide each flavor into 24 strands. Braid into mini three-braid challahs, using one strand from each flavor, and place into lightly greased mini oval challah pans.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius).
Let challahs rise an additional 20 minutes. Brush lightly with water. (Don’t use egg, since that will make them golden and you won’t be able to see the colors from the outside.)
Bake challahs in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Raise oven temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, loosely covering with foil so the tops don’t brown too much. Remove loaves from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with melted margarine for added shine.
Photography and Styling by Hudi Greenberger
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