Challah at Bagel Bin in Clarksville

Challah is a light, egg bread often baked for the Jewish Shabbat, which starts on Friday nights.

I stumbled on the distinctive braided loaves at the Bagel Bin in Clarksville.  They bake challah on Fridays, and they would be delicious with any dinner if you can pick them up before Bagel Bin closes at 5 pm.  By Saturday afternoon, the $5 loves were a dollar off as "day old" bread, but they're equally delicious.  The bread stays fresh several days in a plastic bag, and it can be the base for a weekend of projects.

Saturday night -- bread pudding.  I'm still working on a recipe, but you can't go wrong soaking torn up challah in a mix of milk, eggs and sugar.  Scatter dried cherries and some pieces of a broken chocolate bar.  The bakes up soft inside with a browned, crisp exterior.  You can Google a bunch of recipes until I figure out the right way to pull this off..

Sunday morning -- French toast.  Again, soak thick slices in eggs and milk.  Challah ab

sorbs the liquids faster than a baguette from Bonaparte Bread.  With a pat of butter, the French toast comes out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Bagel Bin is a local chain with outlets in Clarksville and Columbia.  They're my favorite local bagels, even though they can be inconsistent.  I'm not sure whether the other locations serve challah.  If you love your baked goods, check out my post about good bakeries in Howard County.

Bagel Bin - River Hill

River Hill Village Center

6030 Daybreak Circle

Clarksville, MD

410-531-0335

NEAR: Just north of Rte 32 on Rte 108. River Hill shopping center is just north and across Rte 108 from the car dealerships.