Make Me Challah!
A new home for damn delicious challah, raised, braided, and baked in Brooklyn
Good morning, friends!
Good news! Nothing about turkey in today’s post! Today, we have something a little different, and quite exciting: some very special news about a new challah-devoted bakery that is going to make you very happy, and possibly very round, if you’re anything like me and cannot stop eating this challah until the loaf is gone.
Now this challah, which is raised, braided, and baked in a Brooklyn kitchen, is golden and glossy, fluffy and festive, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever tasted. But its story is a little different. It’s not made by a woman who found a spiritual connection in kneading, or some millennial who influences leavened loaves on Tik Tok. It’s home-baked by a 40-something divorced dad named Craig, a former playwright-turned-nonprofit education-access advocate, who lives in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. And yes, this Craig also happens to be my former husband, but I am not biased! Really! It’s SO GOOD. Let me tell you all about his new bakery, Make Me Challah.
Craig has always had a strong relationship with challah. Ever since the early days of our marriage he would bring one home on Fridays, a little something for our dinner table that he would happily soak in milk and egg, cinnamon and sugar, and griddle into French Toast the next morning.
It’s a tradition he continued when we had kids, schlepping all over Brooklyn to find a good enough challah; he settled on the great one at Amy’s Bread. And when we decided to separate, he continued the tradition with the kids on his weekends, challah on Friday evening, and French Toast with butter and maple syrup at the Saturday morning breakfast table. It is a tradition I hope our kids take with them and share with their own families, so that something of their childhood stays with them always.
But the one thing Craig never did was bake challah himself, that is until a few months ago. It happened after the kids and I had done some challah baking here at my house, but not too successfully. The challah just wasn’t rising enough. My challahs have always been a little flat, what can I say?
So Craig decided to try to bake one on his own and figure out how to do it right. Naturally, he called his mom, a wonderful cook, and got her recipe and some tips. He watched a few YouTube videos on how to braid. We can all thank YouTube for that…when he braided our older child’s hair it was not successful.
That Friday, he came over and brought his first challah for us to try, and I nearly fell over. First of all, why was this not happening when we were married? Secondly, the challah was sensational. And third, well, just reread the “First of all.”
Now, I know you’re probably thinking, well our Andrea can’t be objective here, this is the father of her children, but let me tell you, I can be. I am not about to recommend a bad challah, I have a reputation to protect. I know you will LOVE Make Me Challah. If you don’t, bring it here and I’ll eat it!
Craig is at the beginning of his budding baking business; he’s currently looking for a “real” job in the nonprofit education-access sector if you have any leads! For now, Make Me Challah is available for pick up in Carroll Gardens, with a few delicious varieties to choose from: Nanny’s Original is the fluffy and fabulous plain, named for Craig’s maternal grandmother, the OG Red Sox fan; Papa’s Poppyseed is named for his beloved paternal grandfather; Eiji’s Everything, named for our older, and Sam’s Chocolate Chip (half-sized and stuffed with morsels of non-dairy chocolate chips) for our younger. Lots of love in all of these loaves.
Make Me Challah will also be popping up at Dear Dreamer, one of my favorite shops on Smith Street, on Friday December 22nd starting at noon, with more Pop Ups to come! Follow him on Instagram to keep up to date.
The best part? Strong Buzz readers get a 10% discount with the code STRONGBUZZ. Order here.
I hope you love Make Me Challah and that it creates joy and a sense of tradition around your table — and do let me know what you think!