Upper East Sider's Challah Baking Hobby Becomes A Business

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Like so many others, Dolly Meckler turned to baking bread this spring as a way to stave off boredom during coronavirus-induced quarantine.

But Meckler, 28, didn't have the patience to wait two weeks for a sourdough starter to develop. She turned instead to challah, the braided Jewish holiday bread, which stood out for its simplicity.

Her impatience proved to be a virtue. Photos she posted on Instagram — showing her progress as she weaved the dough and eventually produced two shining, golden loaves — garnered an enthusiastic response from friends.

"All these people started to respond to me, saying, 'That challah is so beautiful, I want to buy one from you,'" she told Patch. "I was like, OK, definitely."

She began baking loaves out of her apartment in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, where she had moved last fall. Meckler, a social media strategist, previously ran the social media accounts for TV shows including Game of Thrones and Westworld, but had moved to L.A. to embark on a freelance career.

She developed a system: customers could send her a private message over her new "Challah Dolly" Instagram account, and she would provide curbside pickup outside her home. She brought the business with her when she moved back to New York, her hometown, in June, as freelance work dried up during the pandemic.

"It blew up in New York in a really amazing way," she said.

As her location changed, so too did her recipe: having begun with a New York Times recipe she found through a Google search, Meckler graduated to a secret formula passed down from a family friend.

Still taking orders personally over Instagram — but with plans to set up an automated website soon — Meckler has now fulfilled more than 800 orders, most baked fresh in her Upper East Side apartment. (She has also collaborated on pop-up events, including with Partybus Bakeshop on the Lower East Side.)

She sells three varieties: plain loaves for $10, everything seed for $12, and honey cinnamon sugar, also $12.

Demand spiked this week for Rosh Hashanah: the Jewish New Year, and the holiday with which challah may be most closely associated. Meckler fulfilled over 200 orders of traditional round challah for the occasion, baked in partnership with Partybus. (Meckler said Friday that she'd sold out of loaves for the weekend, but would be back open for orders Monday).

Could the business become sustainable? For now, Meckler says, "It's a hobby that pays," as she continues to do freelance work on the side. But she aspires for local businesses to one day carry her wares.

"Citarella — wouldn't it be great if you could buy Challah Dolly there?" she mused.

With a strong customer base in the neighborhood, Meckler said the project has allowed her to connect with fellow Upper East Siders in a way she never had before. Eventually, she hopes to help broaden the appeal of challah beyond Jewish holidays, and beyond the faith itself.

"It can be your bread for anytime, and it’s so delicious," she said. "Let’s make challah cool."

To place an order, send a direct message to the Challah Dolly Instagram account.

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Yesterday was the first ever #ChallahDolly pop up and it was such a blast. I got to see so many familiar faces, got to meet so many new people, and it was such an honor to share my little challahs with you all. Humongous thank you to @bakerjacq and @partybusbakeshop for hosting me - they are a team of some incredibly talented women and I was so impressed with the production they’re running. Thank you to the @partybusbakeshop team for teaching me so much about baking, and for creating such an inviting space for customers to stop by. It was so fun and so cool. Thank you to everyone who came by, I can’t wait to do it again soon one day Have a beautiful weekend!! #challah #nyc #popup #nyc #lowereastside #bakery #bread #nycfood
A post shared by Challah Dolly (@challahdolly) on Aug 29, 2020 at 12:01pm PDT