Challah Back, Girl

You’ve been brown bagging your lunch to save dough, but your homemade sandwiches aren’t exactly upper crust.

Head to This Is It Bakery and Deli on Cooke Street to try the fresh-baked challah bread (pronounced holla), which is only available on Fridays.

The dense egg bread is rolled and braided before baking to give it its twisted shape, and has a soft, thick texture similar to Hawaiian sweet bread. But with a milder taste, it’s perfect for savory sandwiches, and makes delicious French toast on the weekends.

This Is It is the only place to find it, but you’ll have to drive to the Cooke Street location, they don’t carry the challah at their downtown Bishop Square shop. It sells out fast, too – but you can call ahead and have a loaf or two set aside for you.

Your new lunch recipes will be the best thing since, well, sliced bread.

Challah bread is available on Fridays at This Is It Bakery & Deli, 443 Cooke Street, Honolulu, 808.597.1017. Open weekdays 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.