A Celebration of Sukkot

Sukkot, an ancient Jewish harvest festival, celebrates God's bounty and commemorates the wonderings of the Hewbrews for forty years after their exodus from Egypt. This year Sukkot began on October 5th.

Jewish people around the world observe the holliday by building a hut, or sukkot, to represent the portable shelters the Hebrews ussed during their wanderings. A sukkah is usually a simple structure of branches using leaves for a roof. These little huts, however are ver festive. Decorated with fruits and vines, they suggest abundance, gratitude and hope, and they become the site for family and community members to gather together to share food and celebrate their heritage.


An American Sukkot menu may include recipes based on the seasonal fruits and nuts that make so many of us excited about fall cooking Apple Challah works well for Sukkot, Thanksgiving or any cozy autumn evening.
APPLE CHALLAH

1 cup warm water (100 degrees) 1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup sugar 4 teaspoons dry yeast 2 eggs, room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter 5-6 cups bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour


FILLING

1/2 cup raisins, plumped in 1/2 cup sweet wine for 10 minutes 1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped 2 1/2 cups apples, coarsely chopped (peeled or unpeeled) 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon


TOPPING 1 whole egg 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons sugar


Stir warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes for yeast to develop.
Stir in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and oil. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring to mix after each addition, until a stiff dough forms. Add more flour as you knead 8 to 10 minutes to make a smooth dough.. Dough will be slightly sticky. Place ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat: cover with a slightly damp tea towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place raisins in sweet wine, chop nuts and prepare apples while dough is resting. Drain raisins and blot dry. Place apples, nuts and raisins in a bowl, and toss with sugar and cinnamon. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat it into a large round about 10 inches in diameter. Press in half of the apples. Fold the dough over to cover apples and press gently but firmly to flatten dough slightly, then press in remaining apples. Fold and press until apples are distributed evenly. All pieces of apple should be inside dough if possible, but nuts and raisins may be on top. Apples on top of dough will become very dry.
Spray a 12 x 5 inch loaf pan with not-stick cooking spray. ( two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pans or a 12 cup tube or bundt pan can be used). Cut dough into 16 sections with a sharp knife and lay pieces in prepared loaf pan or tube pan. Line the bottom, then gently place remain pieces on top starting in the center and working toward each end or spacing pieces evenly around the open center of the tube pan.
Cover pan lightly with a damp tea towel. Let rice until amost double or flush with the top. 1 to 2 hours. Beat together egg and egg yolk with a fork and use a pastry brush to cover all exposed surfaces generously. Sprinkle with sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 35 to 40 minutes for small pans, and 40 to 50 minutes for larger pans. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 large pan or round loaf or two small loaves.