I leave in less than two weeks, and car snacks are a very important part of my road trips.  Besides all the water bottles, I need car snacks.  Car snacks have important criteria to meet.  They must be easy to keep in my hand while I drive, they must not be very moist and sticky, they must not make loads of crumbs, and it helps if they go well with coffee.  A healthy snack is optional.  Most importantly, they must not be a poor substitute.  They should be exactly what you want at that precise moment.  A road trip is not a time for disappointment.

Today, I am baking challah rolls.  The dough is the traditional Jewish egg bread that is usually braided.  I break up the dough into 16 dinner-sized rolls.  Today, half the rolls are saturated with Armenian nigella seeds, and the other half are loaded with chopped black walnuts, a much more decadent nut than regular walnuts.

I am including the Braided Challah Bread recipe here, and if you make it, be sure to infuse your own personality into the bread.

CHALLAH RECIPE:

1 cake fresh yeast (2 rounded tspns)

1/4 cup warm water

5 cups flour

1 tspn salt

1 Tbl sugar

1 Tbl salad oil

1 egg, beaten

warm water

GLAZE:

1 egg yolk, diluted with 1 tspn water

Poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Sift together dry ingredients. Add oil. Add softened yeast and beaten egg. Mix thoroughly, adding just enough water for smooth kneading.

Knead well. Place in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let stand until it “bubbles.” Knead again. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Divide into three parts, roll and braid. Place on baking pan (I use parchment paper, but it’s not necessary) and let double again. Glaze. Bake at 350° until brown.

To determine when the bread is done, make small roll and place near on baking sheet. When roll begins to burn, bread is done.  If you’re an experienced bread maker, you know how to simply knock on the bread and listen for the hollow sound of done-ness.

Makes 1 large loaf.  Mangia!