Starting Up With Sourdough

The new sourdough trend is all well and good, but we can't let ourselves forget the basics.

This article is brought to you by the editorial team of JLI’s Living Jewish series, which has recently released The Complete Guide to Keeping Kosher, as previously reported on COLlive. 

Help! My husband decided he wants to hop on the sourdough train, so I ceded my challah baking responsibilities to him. But on Friday night I realized he never separated challah. Do men even have to? What do I do now?

Before we get to your questions, let’s clarify one thing: the obligation to separate challah only kicks in when there’s a shiur challah — a sizable batch somewhere between 10–14 cups of flour (1200–1700 grams)—which can vary further, depending on the grain used. One or two loaves usually won’t hit that threshold, but assuming your overeager hubby went big, let’s address your questions:

Do men have to separate challah?

Yes. The mitzvah of separating challah applies to every Jew. Traditionally, the woman performs it, as the mainstay of the home, but even when a man is the one making the dough, challah must still be separated.

So, what do I do now—on Shabbos?

Separating challah is forbidden on Shabbos, so you can’t fix it now. But don’t worry, your family won’t starve. You can still eat from it, provided you set aside a piece to separate challah from after Shabbos.

One important detail: you can’t simply leave a piece behind and declare that piece to be challah once Shabbos ends. You need to leave a piece of regular bread, and then separate challah from it once Shabbos is over. Set aside a piece slightly larger than the amount of challah you’ll need to separate.

And if I’d caught it before Shabbos?

Then it’s a simple fix. Gather the loaves into one container, or wrap them together in a cloth. Recite the brachah and break off a piece from one of the loaves.

Good luck with the baking journey!

The first volume of Living Jewish, The Complete Guide to Keeping Kosher, is available now at Hamafitz and Judaica World.

If you have a question you’d like to submit, email us at: livingjewish@myjli.com.

Note: The Halachic rulings in this article were reviewed by Bais Hora’ah Chabad.

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