In Moroccan cuisine, a large challah or individual challahs known as Boyoja di Purim were traditionally served at the Purim feast. This is a rich challah with nuts, decorated with hard-boiled eggs and almonds. The hard-boiled eggs, secured with strips of dough, symbolize Haman’s evil eye, and eating them is meant to harm it. The individual challahs were tucked into mishloach manot gift baskets. Some prepared challahs shaped like ladders or birds, marking the miracle of immigration to Israel. These rolls with eggs are also found in Sephardic cuisine under the name “Polaris de Purim.”
Purim Challah (Boyoja di Purim)
Difficulty level: Easy–Medium
Preparation time: About four hours, including rising times
Dish type: Parve
Ingredients (for 3–4 large challahs, or 8–10 individual challahs):
60 g fresh yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 kg sifted flour
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups water
8 tablespoons oil
4–6 hard-boiled eggs
2 egg yolks, beaten with 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup blanched almonds
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in half a cup of lukewarm water. Sprinkle a little flour on top and cover. Set aside until a kind of white foam forms on the surface of the mixture.
Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sesame seeds, sugar, nuts, and salt. Mix lightly and add the eggs and the yeast mixture. Begin mixing and kneading the dough, gradually adding the water and oil. Knead until a smooth, uniform dough forms. Cover and let rise in a warm place for two hours, or until the dough doubles in volume.
Divide the dough into three equal parts. Shape each part into a round ball. Remove a small piece from each ball and set aside. Shape each ball into a round loaf, then cut diagonal slits around the edges of the loaf, 4 cm deep and 4 cm apart, in a zigzag pattern: One cut diagonally in one direction, the next in the opposite direction. This will give the loaf a serrated shape.
Make 2–3 indentations around the center of the challah and place a hard-boiled egg in each indentation.
From the reserved dough pieces, form thin strips and place them over the hard-boiled eggs to hold them in place inside the indentations. Prepare the remaining challahs in the same way. Let them rise for about another 20 minutes.
Brush the challahs with the beaten egg yolk and sugar mixture and sprinkle with the almonds.
Arrange the challahs on baking trays lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25–35 minutes.