Bread and Beyond

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

I’m making a huge batch of chocolate cookies for my son’s chalakah. Do I need to take challah from cookie dough?

If you’re using more than 2 lbs., 10 oz. of flour, take off challah without a brachah. If you’re using more than 5 lbs. of flour, take off challah with a brachah. If the cookie dough is not really a dough but a liquid batter, then challah is taken after the cookies are baked. All the cookies should be placed in a bin or a basket, and then challah should be taken.

I’ve heard so many conflicting responses, I’d like some clarity of what’s the best way to dispose of the challah dough removed.

The most practical  and halachically preferable method is to burn the challah until it’s no longer edible. You do that by first flattening the piece of challah as much as possible (like a cracker), double-wrapping it tightly in foil, then burning it inside the oven (preferably on the oven floor, not on the rack) until it is completely burned. It can then be placed in the garbage.

Under extenuating circumstances, when burning the challah is impractical, it is permitted to carefully wrap it in a bag and bury it or dispose of it in the garbage.

(Some women find it difficult to burn the challah and instead place it in the freezer to be burned at a later time, such as on Erev Pesach with the chometz. There are several reasons why this is strongly not recommended; this “custom” should be discontinued.)