How to Make a Shlissel (Key) Challah

Shlissel Challah, or Key Challah, is customarily made the Shabbat after Pesach. It is said to be a segula for livelihood and parnasa (income). A key is placed into the challah dough while being braided and some even shape their Challah like a key.

[Editor’s Note: There are various forms of Shlissel Challah, as noted in the following picture. This particular article describes how to shape the challah on your far right. Alternatively, make the Shlissel Challah using the braids that you normally make for challot.]

Here is a step by step tutorial on how to shape your challah dough into a key using our favorite Challah Recipe (Jamie’s Geller’s famous dough).

Now, how to shape the key – check out our step by step instructions here (using play dough for illustration purposes, but it is also fun to play with):

Step 1: After your dough has risen and is ready to use, cut a small piece from the dough and roll out into  a long rope.

 

Step 2:  Form the long rope into an upside down U shape.

 

Step 3:  Cross the one side over the other at the top.

 

Step 4: Leaving the left side long, bring the bottom of the left rope through underneath the twist at the top as if making a knot, then either tuck the piece sticking out at the top over and under the challah (like the challah at the top) or bring the right side up the same way and then attach another rolled rope of dough to the top of the key shape.

 

Step 5: To finish up your key, take two small piece of dough (about the size of two quarters) and role them into small ropes, place them at the bottom the long rope like pictured above.   Place on a baking sheet, allow to rise and then bake as instructed in the challah recipe of choice.