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Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs
What if you could bake bread once a week, every week? What if the smell of fresh baking bread could turn your house into a home? And what if the act of making the bread―mixing and kneading, watching and waiting―could heal your heartache and your emptiness, your sense of being overwhelmed? It can. This is the surprise that physician-mother Beth Ricanati learned when she started baking challah almost a decade ago: that simply stopping and baking bread was the best medicine she could prescribe for women in a fast-paced world. Braided chronicles a journey of a thousand challahs and one woman’s quest for wellness and peace.
184 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2018
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243 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 18, 2018
Many thanks to BookSparks & She Writes Press for the chance to read and review this book early!
If someone would have told me a memoir about baking bread would be one of the most exciting books I would read all year, I would've told them they were crazy. Thanks to Beth Ricanati and the BookSparks Magic of Memoir 4.0 blog tour my world has been turned upside down!
As the author's routine encourages, I was planning to bake my bread on a Friday. However, when my kids and I sat down to begin our day of homeschooling, my daughter noticed a holiday was written on the calendar. Rosh Hashanah - it felt like Providence! We started an impromptu lesson on our Jewish friends' new year and I decided to make my first challah. Let me tell you, baking this bread is everything the author hopes it will be for the reader. I felt relaxed and had so much fun learning something new and baking with my kids. One of my favorite things about making this bread was being able to learn about every step through reading this memoir and the history that brings us to the present day. This bread has been made by countless generations of women. Such a simple recipe, but the act of praying as the food is being made makes it feel as if this bread is not being made by my hands but by God's instead.
Before reading this book, I didn't have a lot of knowledge of Jewish practices and had never heard of challah before. My goodness, I have been missing out. This bread is the probably the best bread I have ever eaten! My family ate the first loaf in record time and even begged me to start making challah every Friday for them to enjoy fresh from the oven. Since I've read the book, I have made challah twice and it has become a part of my Christian home. What a blessing Beth Ricanati has given my family through her book, unifying people of various backgrounds and beliefs through food.
This book could not be more perfect for busy mothers looking to find a moment to slow down and take a moment for themselves in this fast-paced world. I love feeling the connection to other women I've never met, knowing they'll be making challahs in their own homes to nourish their families on the same day as I am. As the blurb says, this simple act does bring a sense of peace and wellness to the heart and mind, even for me, a woman who often loathes cooking! I can't recommend this book enough and hope others will pick it up today!
______
Such a happy book and one of my favorite memoirs ever!
If someone would have told me a memoir about baking bread would be one of the most exciting books I would read all year, I would've told them they were crazy. Thanks to Beth Ricanati and the BookSparks Magic of Memoir 4.0 blog tour my world has been turned upside down!
As the author's routine encourages, I was planning to bake my bread on a Friday. However, when my kids and I sat down to begin our day of homeschooling, my daughter noticed a holiday was written on the calendar. Rosh Hashanah - it felt like Providence! We started an impromptu lesson on our Jewish friends' new year and I decided to make my first challah. Let me tell you, baking this bread is everything the author hopes it will be for the reader. I felt relaxed and had so much fun learning something new and baking with my kids. One of my favorite things about making this bread was being able to learn about every step through reading this memoir and the history that brings us to the present day. This bread has been made by countless generations of women. Such a simple recipe, but the act of praying as the food is being made makes it feel as if this bread is not being made by my hands but by God's instead.
Before reading this book, I didn't have a lot of knowledge of Jewish practices and had never heard of challah before. My goodness, I have been missing out. This bread is the probably the best bread I have ever eaten! My family ate the first loaf in record time and even begged me to start making challah every Friday for them to enjoy fresh from the oven. Since I've read the book, I have made challah twice and it has become a part of my Christian home. What a blessing Beth Ricanati has given my family through her book, unifying people of various backgrounds and beliefs through food.
This book could not be more perfect for busy mothers looking to find a moment to slow down and take a moment for themselves in this fast-paced world. I love feeling the connection to other women I've never met, knowing they'll be making challahs in their own homes to nourish their families on the same day as I am. As the blurb says, this simple act does bring a sense of peace and wellness to the heart and mind, even for me, a woman who often loathes cooking! I can't recommend this book enough and hope others will pick it up today!
______
Such a happy book and one of my favorite memoirs ever!
January 5, 2023
A lovely story connecting the baking of bread and our spiritual life. It was fascinating to read of the history of baking challah bread and serving it at the Shabbat dinner. Written by a medical doctor she emphasizes the need to stop and take the time to make the dough, allowing the bread the rise and form it into the 3 sections to be braided. She often shares the experience of making bread with other women who want to begin making their weekly challah bread rather then purchase it from a local bakery.
She writes about making the bread in honor of someone for whom you might be praying or even sharing one of the 2 loaves (the recipe makes 2 loaves), with someone in need, emotionally or physically. It's a book that encourages the reader to slow down and take the time to enjoy the experience of making food and eating food and the value of sharing these experiences with others.
She writes about making the bread in honor of someone for whom you might be praying or even sharing one of the 2 loaves (the recipe makes 2 loaves), with someone in need, emotionally or physically. It's a book that encourages the reader to slow down and take the time to enjoy the experience of making food and eating food and the value of sharing these experiences with others.
May 31, 2019
As someone who has made challah many times, I appreciate the author's descriptions of how to make challah bread. But to me, it was light on the memoir part of the book. It also tended to jump around a lot so I had trouble connecting with the author and the points she was trying to make.
And honestly, now I'm just hungry for challah.
And honestly, now I'm just hungry for challah.
January 18, 2021
Sometimes a book lands in your lap and you didn’t even know you were looking for it. This is a #genreHybrid part memoir, part cookbook, part self-help. Beth Ricanati, shares the beauty of Judaism, its traditions & beliefs and how the art of preparing & baking challah ( traditional Friday night Sabbath bread) is good for your mental & physical health. I’m looking forward to actually trying her recipe/method for making challah. This would make a wonderful housewarming gift, bridal shower gift or just thinking about you. PS: This book was gifted to me by my son ♥️
September 14, 2018
Who wouldn’t want to bake bread?!?! It smells sooo yummy 🥖 This memoir is a life lesson for anyone reading it!!!! Slow your roll.... live life. Enjoy it. Smell the roses and bake bread!!!! It’ll keep you smiling till the very end. It’s so sweet and such a tasteful story of a woman growing up and learning the true meaning of life: to live it!!! It’s the most honest read I’ve read so far this year!!!
September 17, 2018
Thank you to BookSparks for sending me a copy of Braided for review. It is available September 18, 2018.
Braided is not only a memoir of Dr Ricanati’s life, it also has instructions on making your own challah, some nutritional asides, and some life advice for mindful moments. I appreciated learning a lot of the religious aspects of the loaf as well.
I make bread as a way to relax, learn, and make my family smile. Everybody appreciates a freshly baked loaf. I don’t stick to a routine or a particular kind, but I recognized the sentiment behind the act. It’s a mindful moment between you and the dough and the magic of turning simple ingredients into something amazing. It never stops being impressive to me.
Braided is not only a memoir of Dr Ricanati’s life, it also has instructions on making your own challah, some nutritional asides, and some life advice for mindful moments. I appreciated learning a lot of the religious aspects of the loaf as well.
I make bread as a way to relax, learn, and make my family smile. Everybody appreciates a freshly baked loaf. I don’t stick to a routine or a particular kind, but I recognized the sentiment behind the act. It’s a mindful moment between you and the dough and the magic of turning simple ingredients into something amazing. It never stops being impressive to me.
January 12, 2025
A light read, but engaging. The author blends stories from her medical practice with learning how to bake challah in a way that reminds me of kneading: everything gets folded together.
I come from a long line of bakers, so it was hard for me to imagine her experience of needing to learn how to bake in her adulthood because she'd not learned the art from anyone in her family, but it made me admire her tenacity more.
I come from a long line of bakers, so it was hard for me to imagine her experience of needing to learn how to bake in her adulthood because she'd not learned the art from anyone in her family, but it made me admire her tenacity more.
October 14, 2018
Braided is the second book on the Book Sparks Magic of Memoir Tour. This was an honest, yet light-hearted read, which was a nice break from some of the heavier memoirs I've read recently. Dr. Ricanati's prescription for reducing stress, slowing down, and being present is a simple one: every Friday for over ten years, she bakes challah. Part memoir and part cookbook, Braided serves as a guide to help the reader take ownership of their health, happiness and spirituality. While the focus of this book, obviously, is how to make challah, the message can apply to many activities: make time for something you enjoy, slow down, and be present.
September 10, 2018
Beth Ricanati is impressive. An Ivy League graduate, a practicing medical doctor, a mother, a wife, a writer, a clinician at prestigious hospitals, she presents as super-woman. Even as she describes sneaking glances at her Blackberry at a mother-and-child Hebrew class, we know she has it all, right?
Of course not. Or to be more accurate—not all the time.
Since the world discovered that women are needed to labor both in and out of the home, various groups have tried to force women into various molds. We must be assertive professionals. We must be dedicated parents. We must be submissive sex toys. We must be religious. We must escape from the old-fashioned bonds of religion. Possibly, there are women who manage this elusive "all"—or at least, some bespoke version of "all". God (or Goddess) bless 'em.
The truth is that neither all women, nor all men, can be pigeon-holed. Ricanati strives to meet her own expectations, as well as those of her culture—modern American—and religion—Jewish. In her own mind, she fails as much as she succeeds. She's too hard on herself. She did a hell of a job.
In her striving, she has an epiphany. A friend suggests that she make challah, the decoratively braided, slightly sweet bread. When she decides to try it, she discovers something about herself. Piling on obligations and expectations is a recipe for disaster. The more one tries to "do" things, the more one feels inadequate. We will never do everything we think we should, and our efforts will fall short of magazine-layout perfection.
Does that mean we stop "doing" or become slapdash? No. Ricanati discovers that the secret to satisfaction is not the result—perfect or not—of one's efforts. Satisfaction is derived from being in the moment, experiencing the process, feeling the success or failure as learning something new, and sharing the experience.
So it is with challah. Ricanati spends a great deal of her book describing the type of salt, the amount of sugar, the process of proofing yeast. She shares her experiments, her failures and her dedication to making challah almost every week for more than ten years. Learning to make challah forces her to focus, to pay attention to every step, to question her choices and, perhaps most importantly, to fill her home with the warm scent of baking.
Along the way, Ricanati reconsiders her professional and family choices, her very idea of "succeeding."
Maybe Ricanati could have taken up knitting or sky-diving to reorient her life, but challah is more manageable. It is inexpensive, hard to completely mess up, requires some attention (but not laser-like focus), and yields a shareable result. It requires very little in the way of equipment, so you can make it in almost any kitchen.
Ricanati takes inspiration from diverse sources: a cowboy teaches her about where to let dough rise. Another mother gives her the word on how to add ingredients. Her father's death intensifies the religious aspect of challah baking. In return, the process centers her. The complexity of the six-braid loaf draws her into a trance of complete concentration.
It may be too pat to say that Ricanati changes her career path while exploring challah—but maybe not. Baking is more than a hobby. It is an expression of her life and heritage, a way to connect with others while baking, a proud accomplishment, a gift to others. Challah is described in Torah, a link to her faith. In all, challah is a fine medium for transformation.
In her book's conclusion, Ricanati describes how every aspect of her life and work has changed since she began baking challah. It is an inspiring and deeply hopeful story, centered by a deceptively simple task.
by D Ferrara
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Of course not. Or to be more accurate—not all the time.
Since the world discovered that women are needed to labor both in and out of the home, various groups have tried to force women into various molds. We must be assertive professionals. We must be dedicated parents. We must be submissive sex toys. We must be religious. We must escape from the old-fashioned bonds of religion. Possibly, there are women who manage this elusive "all"—or at least, some bespoke version of "all". God (or Goddess) bless 'em.
The truth is that neither all women, nor all men, can be pigeon-holed. Ricanati strives to meet her own expectations, as well as those of her culture—modern American—and religion—Jewish. In her own mind, she fails as much as she succeeds. She's too hard on herself. She did a hell of a job.
In her striving, she has an epiphany. A friend suggests that she make challah, the decoratively braided, slightly sweet bread. When she decides to try it, she discovers something about herself. Piling on obligations and expectations is a recipe for disaster. The more one tries to "do" things, the more one feels inadequate. We will never do everything we think we should, and our efforts will fall short of magazine-layout perfection.
Does that mean we stop "doing" or become slapdash? No. Ricanati discovers that the secret to satisfaction is not the result—perfect or not—of one's efforts. Satisfaction is derived from being in the moment, experiencing the process, feeling the success or failure as learning something new, and sharing the experience.
So it is with challah. Ricanati spends a great deal of her book describing the type of salt, the amount of sugar, the process of proofing yeast. She shares her experiments, her failures and her dedication to making challah almost every week for more than ten years. Learning to make challah forces her to focus, to pay attention to every step, to question her choices and, perhaps most importantly, to fill her home with the warm scent of baking.
Along the way, Ricanati reconsiders her professional and family choices, her very idea of "succeeding."
Maybe Ricanati could have taken up knitting or sky-diving to reorient her life, but challah is more manageable. It is inexpensive, hard to completely mess up, requires some attention (but not laser-like focus), and yields a shareable result. It requires very little in the way of equipment, so you can make it in almost any kitchen.
Ricanati takes inspiration from diverse sources: a cowboy teaches her about where to let dough rise. Another mother gives her the word on how to add ingredients. Her father's death intensifies the religious aspect of challah baking. In return, the process centers her. The complexity of the six-braid loaf draws her into a trance of complete concentration.
It may be too pat to say that Ricanati changes her career path while exploring challah—but maybe not. Baking is more than a hobby. It is an expression of her life and heritage, a way to connect with others while baking, a proud accomplishment, a gift to others. Challah is described in Torah, a link to her faith. In all, challah is a fine medium for transformation.
In her book's conclusion, Ricanati describes how every aspect of her life and work has changed since she began baking challah. It is an inspiring and deeply hopeful story, centered by a deceptively simple task.
by D Ferrara
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
June 22, 2025
**.5
This is a weird book, and it did not work at all for me. It's part autobiography, part religious meditation, and part cookbook*. The author is a doctor, and reminds the reader many times that she went to an Ivy League university and worked at some of the country's best hospitals and is very good at doctoring. It's the sort of thing a proud Jewish mother would glowingly write about their daughter, but comes off a bit braggy in the first person.
As with many people who were raised in a mostly secular environment and rediscovered their Jewish roots as an adult, she is amazed by the depth and meaningfulness of the religious traditions, rites, and rituals. People already familiar with Judaism will learn nothing from these sections, and it's hard for me to tell how they would resonate with a non-Jewish reader who doesn't have the first clue of what she's even talking about. She also makes some basic errors, such as confusing prayer (tefillah) with blessing (bracha). The two are closely related, but have distinct meanings in Jewish liturgy.
The theme that ties it all together is the weekly baking of Challah, the traditional egg bread that is eaten on Erev Shabbat (Friday evening) as a vital part of the Shabbat meal. She provides her recipe, and splits it up into small sections that are spread out throughout the book, accompanied by anecdotes, analogies, and various other musings.
*The problem with the cookbook component is that the author is not an experienced baker, and admits that this one recipe is in fact literally the only bread she has ever baked! She doesn't understand how bulk fermentation and proofing differ, and might not even recognize those terms [not that knowledge of the theory or the terminology necessarily means better bread]. She doesn't weigh her ingredients (she did buy a digital scale but refused to even try it a single time), doesn't seem to understand that there is a difference in kneading a dough to medium or full gluten development, wouldn't know the difference between active and instant yeast if it bit her on the leg, etc. In other words, this is not a good primer to learn how to bake bread, or about the process of how bread is made, or even how to bake her specific Challah recipe. She relates that it took her years to figure out how to turn out a halfway decent loaf by ignorance-driven trial and error, and while even a mediocre homemade freshly baked Challah is still usually a marvelous thing, this isn't the best book for beginners looking to learn how to do it themselves.
This is a weird book, and it did not work at all for me. It's part autobiography, part religious meditation, and part cookbook*. The author is a doctor, and reminds the reader many times that she went to an Ivy League university and worked at some of the country's best hospitals and is very good at doctoring. It's the sort of thing a proud Jewish mother would glowingly write about their daughter, but comes off a bit braggy in the first person.
As with many people who were raised in a mostly secular environment and rediscovered their Jewish roots as an adult, she is amazed by the depth and meaningfulness of the religious traditions, rites, and rituals. People already familiar with Judaism will learn nothing from these sections, and it's hard for me to tell how they would resonate with a non-Jewish reader who doesn't have the first clue of what she's even talking about. She also makes some basic errors, such as confusing prayer (tefillah) with blessing (bracha). The two are closely related, but have distinct meanings in Jewish liturgy.
The theme that ties it all together is the weekly baking of Challah, the traditional egg bread that is eaten on Erev Shabbat (Friday evening) as a vital part of the Shabbat meal. She provides her recipe, and splits it up into small sections that are spread out throughout the book, accompanied by anecdotes, analogies, and various other musings.
*The problem with the cookbook component is that the author is not an experienced baker, and admits that this one recipe is in fact literally the only bread she has ever baked! She doesn't understand how bulk fermentation and proofing differ, and might not even recognize those terms [not that knowledge of the theory or the terminology necessarily means better bread]. She doesn't weigh her ingredients (she did buy a digital scale but refused to even try it a single time), doesn't seem to understand that there is a difference in kneading a dough to medium or full gluten development, wouldn't know the difference between active and instant yeast if it bit her on the leg, etc. In other words, this is not a good primer to learn how to bake bread, or about the process of how bread is made, or even how to bake her specific Challah recipe. She relates that it took her years to figure out how to turn out a halfway decent loaf by ignorance-driven trial and error, and while even a mediocre homemade freshly baked Challah is still usually a marvelous thing, this isn't the best book for beginners looking to learn how to do it themselves.
September 15, 2018
Thanks to Booksparks for my free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Dr. Beth Ricanati trained in internal medicine, with a practice in women's health and wellness, but every Friday night she bakes challah. It is this simple practice that she has perfected and calls her prescription to all women in a fast paced world! She walks readers through the history of challah, the practice of baking challah (the perfect challah), and how this process has really impacted her life!
"What happened as I went through the eleven steps each Friday in this challah recipe is where I really learned to be present. To slow down for a moment each week. To appreciate the here and now. To reconnect with other women. I found through these eleven steps that challah is the ultimate soul food for me."
This was such an interesting story and I couldn't put this book down! I didn't know anything about how to make challah before reading this, but after finishing I want to get right into the kitchen and make the perfect loaves of challah! It was so interesting learning about Beth's past, what drove her to medicine, and how this practice of making challah really impacted her life. She explains the purpose of every step in the recipe and goes so in depth with each of the ingredients. How they embody patience, humility, embracing flexibility, and a messy life (just to name a few that resonated most with me). This process made me reflect on my life and how I take the time each day to rest in this crazy world. It was also very interesting hearing her take on all of the ingredients as a medical professional! I really loved this memoir and challah practice, and I would highly recommend!!
Dr. Beth Ricanati trained in internal medicine, with a practice in women's health and wellness, but every Friday night she bakes challah. It is this simple practice that she has perfected and calls her prescription to all women in a fast paced world! She walks readers through the history of challah, the practice of baking challah (the perfect challah), and how this process has really impacted her life!
"What happened as I went through the eleven steps each Friday in this challah recipe is where I really learned to be present. To slow down for a moment each week. To appreciate the here and now. To reconnect with other women. I found through these eleven steps that challah is the ultimate soul food for me."
This was such an interesting story and I couldn't put this book down! I didn't know anything about how to make challah before reading this, but after finishing I want to get right into the kitchen and make the perfect loaves of challah! It was so interesting learning about Beth's past, what drove her to medicine, and how this practice of making challah really impacted her life. She explains the purpose of every step in the recipe and goes so in depth with each of the ingredients. How they embody patience, humility, embracing flexibility, and a messy life (just to name a few that resonated most with me). This process made me reflect on my life and how I take the time each day to rest in this crazy world. It was also very interesting hearing her take on all of the ingredients as a medical professional! I really loved this memoir and challah practice, and I would highly recommend!!
September 21, 2018
Next up in BookSparks #MagicOfMemoir2018 Blog Tour is Braided A Journey of a Thousand Challahs by Beth Ricanati, MD! This book appealed to me so much because it is a memoir that also included recipes! As you can see from the picture above I made my own challah, and it looked, smelled, and tasted amazing!
In Braided Dr. Ricanati addresses what many of us suffer from. Too much stress, not enough time, making poor choices nutritionally out of time and convenience, and the eventual toll it takes on our spirit and bodies. This memoir shows how she made the choice to slow down once a week and make homemade challah for her family, and how that act forced her to take a breath and be present in the moment. Not only that it made her more aware of her relationship with the food she was consuming and serving her family.
I love how this book started out with a basic recipe for baking homemade challah, and then chapter by chapter Dr. Ricanati breaks down each step, ingredient, and process. She explains the significance and spirituality behind this specific bread. She spends time talking about women and our relationships with the food we eat, both healthy and unhealthy. This book takes something as simple as a loaf of bread and finds ways to recenter you and reprogram the way you think about what nourishes you.
While this was a memoir it was also in a strong sense a book on health and spirituality. This is a book that you will want to keep close to make this bread over and over, and then buy additional copies to gift along with the key ingredients needed to the women you love in your life.
In Braided Dr. Ricanati addresses what many of us suffer from. Too much stress, not enough time, making poor choices nutritionally out of time and convenience, and the eventual toll it takes on our spirit and bodies. This memoir shows how she made the choice to slow down once a week and make homemade challah for her family, and how that act forced her to take a breath and be present in the moment. Not only that it made her more aware of her relationship with the food she was consuming and serving her family.
I love how this book started out with a basic recipe for baking homemade challah, and then chapter by chapter Dr. Ricanati breaks down each step, ingredient, and process. She explains the significance and spirituality behind this specific bread. She spends time talking about women and our relationships with the food we eat, both healthy and unhealthy. This book takes something as simple as a loaf of bread and finds ways to recenter you and reprogram the way you think about what nourishes you.
While this was a memoir it was also in a strong sense a book on health and spirituality. This is a book that you will want to keep close to make this bread over and over, and then buy additional copies to gift along with the key ingredients needed to the women you love in your life.
Read
September 2, 2019I mix my ingredients in a different order and am going to try her way. I agree with the author about the special feeling in making challah, and finding meaning in so many women all over the world and through time connected in this ritual. And of course eating it is the best. But I do make a lot at once and freeze it, because as a working mom, that is the best choice for me! This book is probably best for someone who hasn't made challah or is intimidated by it. For a longtime challah baker (I've been at it for more than 15 years) it can be a bit obvious.
I am in favor of holistic wellness but also am pro science and medicine and I was a little concerned that the author claims to prescribe things like making challah.
I am in favor of holistic wellness but also am pro science and medicine and I was a little concerned that the author claims to prescribe things like making challah.
November 4, 2019
“Blessed are you, Lord our god, ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
Part bread bible, part self-help treatise, “Braided” is a lovely gem of a book that reminds us to pause long enough in our journey to appreciate the joy of food and ritual and reflection.
As a bread baker, I absolutely loved this doctor-author’s nuggets of wisdom. As a mother and attorney and type A perfectionist, myself, her life lessons were even more compelling. I’ve already tried my first loaf, and look forward to the 6-braid, round loaf and “hand-shaped” challenges ahead.
Part bread bible, part self-help treatise, “Braided” is a lovely gem of a book that reminds us to pause long enough in our journey to appreciate the joy of food and ritual and reflection.
As a bread baker, I absolutely loved this doctor-author’s nuggets of wisdom. As a mother and attorney and type A perfectionist, myself, her life lessons were even more compelling. I’ve already tried my first loaf, and look forward to the 6-braid, round loaf and “hand-shaped” challenges ahead.
July 7, 2020
This is a special book, one about healing that speaks to the heart. Baking challah is the author’s journey to find wellness--and she takes us along. Now 10 years and 1000 challahs later, Dr. Beth Racanati has changed the lives of so many by connecting body and spirit. Not only does the author find peace and happiness in making challah, in her medical practice, she finds that baking challah reduces patient stress and therefore she “prescribes” baking, realizing that medication is not enough to make people well.
September 3, 2023
I'm a rabbi. A woman rabbi. I have baked challah for decades. Off and on. I have taught challah baking classes. I admire others' pictures of challahs every week. But it has never become a spiritual discipline for me. There never seems to be enough time. This book is great. First...the simple recipe learned at a Mom and Me Challah baking class at a JCC WORKS. Second this woman physician has great life lessons to teach. Balance. Presence. Not working too much. So I made the challah. Who thinks I'll make it next week?
March 3, 2020
Very nice/quick read for a Shabbes afternoon (it took me a few additional days as I really needed a nap this past Shabbat). I found it a bit overly whimsical at times but it was very pleasant to read as an experienced challah baker and I imagine it would be very inspirational (and pretty decently instructional) for someone who hasn’t tried it yet! There is no greater tactile sensation than that moment after kneading when the dough becomes just right - give it a go!
April 1, 2020
This was a walk & talk book with my hevruta, and it didn't quite work for us. I wanted to like this book but found the few first chapters a bit uninspiring. I appreciate why the sidebars are present, but it read as a distraction. Yes, I finished it; yes, I'll try the challah recipe instead of my current recipe; no, I probably won't recommend this book to others. In the end, the sense of meaning -- spiritually, communally -- from making challah was not much clearer than when I began reading.
June 29, 2021
This was a most enjoyable read! And I got a great recipe for challah out of it, which I’ve baked twice. I also decided, after having read this book, to try to bake bread weekly, even if I’m baking for my freezer. Just like the author, I’m now at the point where if I didn’t bake bread, I miss it. It became a ritual for me. So if you love baking bread, this may be the book for you. Highly recommended.
September 18, 2019
In a world that often seems to be spinning out of control, Beth Ricanati's Braided offers inspiration on how to stay mindful, purposeful, and interconnected. This is a book you will want to read, re-read, and gift to all those you treasure in your life-and to anyone who has lost sight of what a treasure life is.
October 27, 2019
Whether you are a baker or not, you will want to make challah after you finish this book. It was absolutely stunning how the author took each part of the recipe and process, explaining its importance to the bread itself, to the Jewish religion and spirituality, and to her own life experience. Nicely done!
May 10, 2022
This was an interesting book. I’m a baker myself, so I was amused to read the bits where Beth learned something that was crucial to her baking success, as well as when she discovered things that were not. I would have enjoyed more writing about the intersections with her medical career, but that perhaps was expecting a lot from a rather short book.
April 8, 2022
I really liked this book. I have 2 loaves of challah from the recipe in the book raising right now and look forward to baking and watching them. It’s a book about baking challah, memoir of some life stories, and advice for better health.
June 28, 2023
I loved being taken on this journey, of the author discovering this beautiful weekly tradition of baking challah. You can read some of my favorite passages on my blog:
https://wendykennar.com/2023/06/28/br...
https://wendykennar.com/2023/06/28/br...
January 8, 2019
Reminds me of me! Quick easy read. Good primer.
January 14, 2019
Now I want to bake a challah loaf every week. Thanks a lot, Braided.
January 23, 2019
What an engaging book, I enjoyed it very much & will now finally try to make a loaf of challah!
March 1, 2019
I loved the way this book is set on a recipe and all about her journey into making this weekly bread. I'm not Jewish, but I love to learn about different cultures.
April 16, 2019
Has some good technical information for the beginning Challah baker.
April 19, 2019
A simple thing, bake challah, stop, breath and repeat. I hope to take from this book and create a new tradition in our family. Not to just make challah here and there, but every Friday!
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