Jewish or not, who doesn't love a fluffy piece of challah? Mayim Bialik has taken the Shabbat staple and put her own twist on it, turning the braided loaf into vegan bread with a pretzel-like crust.

1 large egg, beaten, for brushing Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, nigella or black sesame seeds, za’atar, ground sumac, flaky sea salt, and/or other toppings of your choice ...

Bread — shaping it, baking it, blessing it and sharing it — is part of almost every Jewish holiday. The bond among Jews, God and bread goes back to the first five books of the Bible: As the Israelites ...

No matter how good a bakery challah tastes, baking it myself tastes better. Golden and fragrant and topped with toasted seeds, mine will be on the table for the first night of Hanukkah on Tuesday.