Breads Bakery Shares Festive Challah Secrets

Breads Bakery Shares Festive Challah Secrets

Breads Bakery, just off Union Square in NYC, was included in the not-to-miss list of best French bakeries in NYC posted on Eater in July.

But wait! Is Breads Bakery French? Israeli? Danish?

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Master baker Uri Scheft was born to Danish parents in Israel, where he grow up. His training and travels took him to Europe where he learned traditional baking techniques and brought them back to Tel Aviv where he had been running LeHamim (bakery and cafe) since 2001. Lucky for New Yorkers, he has been baking sweets at Breads since January of 2013.

Breads immediately gathered a flock of fans who follow the sweet trail down E. 16th St. to enter a pleasure den of irresistible aromas of butter, chocolate, nuts and cheese, oh my!

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Chocolate babke oozing with Nutella and dark chocolate chips, fruity and fragrant croissants and magnificent baguettes, 100 % rye breads, fig and walnut loaves, flaky cheese sticks are baked throughout the day where racks of rising dough and industrial size mixers are visible just 50 feet from the counter. Unlike most bakeries, Breads bakes throughout the day, guranteeing the freshest, most delectable treats I’ve tasted in a long, long while.

BREADS BAKERY may 2014

With a cafe menu that suits vegetarians and healthy eaters, the sandwiches are reasonable priced and include Middle Eastern favorites like Tunisian, Sabich and Baba Ganoush.

Students, residents and tourists wander from the greenmarket and nearby classrooms for their strong coffee fix, salads and treats through out the day.Counters in the front and a smattering of tables encourage noshers to stay a while.

I dare you to not have dessert even if you’ve started off with one of their healthy salads of super fresh greens topped with quinoa, chickpeas or tuna salad.

BREADS BAKERY may 2014

Baked delicacies shift with the seasons (fruity fillings of apples and pears come from the greenmarket, as do veggies for the buttery quiches) and the holidays (I was BLOWN AWAY by a generous gift of hamantaschen delivered by a friend last Purim).

Naturally, Rosh HaShanah treats include plenty of apples and honey. The challenge is choosing between Apple Galette, Safta Cake (Safta= grandmother in Hebrew) moistened with honey and dotted with cubes of apple, pareve (non-dairy) honey cake or Apple Babke.

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Did I mention the chocolate babke? 

In case you can’t get to Breads on time for the holiday, consider baking Uri Scheft’s challah. Want some help with braiding instructions? Click here.

Just be sure to add a stop at Breads next time your in the neighborhood. There is NO WAY you will leave empty handed.

Breads Bakery is at 18 East 16th Street, NYC

Hours: M-F 6:30-9 PM; Sat. 6:30-8 PM and Sun. 7:30-8 PM.

Phone: 212-633-2253

Note: Breads Baker is not a kosher bakery. Their menu is vegetarian with some fish items (no shellfish). There are some non-dairy baked goods available. It is the perfect spot for anyone kosher like me.

Breads Bakery offers baking classes although none are scheduled at this time. They will schedule a class for groups upon request.

Anyone want to join me for a baking class at Breads? Leave a comment below and we’ll try to schedule one. Let’s do it!

Thank you, Breads Bakery, for sharing this recipe and all photos.

10 Comments

    • You are right about all of these details, Shayna. Be sure to order ahead if you are planning on picking things up before a holiday. The chocolate babke sells out quickly even though BREADS bakes throughout the day!

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