On Shavuot, many have the custom to eat dairy. When serving a dairy meal, one might consider baking dairy bread; however, if doing so, it is important to be aware of the halachot involved. The Gemara (Pesahim 30b) teaches that it is generally forbidden to bake bread kneaded with milk. This prohibition was instituted by the Hachamim to prevent one from inadvertently eating dairy bread with meat. Similarly, one may not bake a meat bread so it is not inadvertently eaten with dairy. Baking dairy or meat bread is only allowed when certain specific conditions are met.
What are the conditions to allow one to bake dairy bread?
One may bake dairy bread as long as one of the following conditions is met:
- Only a small amount is baked.
- The bread is baked in a shape specifically recognized as dairy. If there is an identifying - not just a different - shape, that will remind people that it is dairy, one may bake even a large amount.
What is considered "a small amount"?
According to some opinions, it's the amount that will be eaten in the coming meal. Some are more lenient and allow an amount that will be eaten within the next day. When baking this "small amount" for the family—that is aware of the bread's dairy status—there is no concern of it being accidentally eaten with meat.
What shape should I bake the bread in?
A shape only helps if those eating the bread recognize that the shape signifies the bread is dairy. If the same shape is used for both dairy and pareve bread, it is ineffective, as someone may assume that it is pareve. Another option would be to sprinkle cheese on top of the dough; this makes the bread easily recognizable as dairy and prevents it from being accidentally eaten with meat.
What if I already baked a large amount without a distinctive shape?
If one forgot the halacha, or even if they were simply unaware of it, and baked a large amount of dairy bread, all of the bread is forbidden to eat—even by itself—and must be discarded. Once the bread is baked, it does not help to distribute it to family and friends; even if each person receives only a small amount that will be eaten right away, the bread remains forbidden.
What about crackers and pastries?
Although one of the above conditions is necessary for both bread and crackers alike, they are not required for sweet pastries or cakes. One is allowed to bake a large number of sweet dairy pastries or cakes even without an identifying shape. Since sweet pastries are not eaten together with meat we are not concerned that a mistake will happen. Although one who ate meat has to wait six hours before eating anything dairy, the Hachamim did not extend the prohibition to items that might be eaten during the six-hour period; the restriction applies solely to bread that might accidentally be eaten together with meat.
Recently, a recipe was circulated that called for adding "schmaltz" (rendered chicken fat) to cookies. This is entirely forbidden, as cookies are often eaten together with milk, and the person eating them would have no way of knowing that the cookies are actually meat. Only if a “small amount” is baked and everyone is informed of the cookie’s meat status, would it be permitted.
What about items with a filling, such as sambousak or bourekas?
In regards to sambousak or bourekas, there are varying customs. Some are careful to make them in an identifying shape. For example, cheese bourekas are made as triangles, while the meat bourekas are shaped as squares. The meat ones also have some of the meat showing to differentiate between meat and pareve bourekas. For sambousak, the meat and cheese ones are made in two different shapes to identify which one is which.
Others are of the opinion that the prohibition only applies to bread that was kneaded with milk, as one who is eating has no way to know that it is not regular bread. However, something filled does not need an identifying shape, as it is clearly noticeable that there is filling and one will find out what is inside before eating. Nevertheless, experience has shown that it is prudent to make them noticeably different; it has happened that people have mistakenly used the dairy ones for a meat meal or baked dairy and meat ones simultaneously.
What if a small amount of pareve bread came in contact with dairy?
If only a small amount of pareve bread came in contact with dairy, it is permissible to eat, however, one must be careful not to eat it with meat. In fact, the halacha goes further and requires that any bread eaten with a dairy meal may not be eaten at a meat meal, or vice versa, out of concern that the bread may have gotten dirty with meat or dairy. This halacha applies to any food that was on the table and potentially came in contact with dairy or meat. They should not be served at a meal of the opposite type.
What about the bread that was in the middle of the table and didn't get dirty?
Generally, what was used for serving in the middle of the table, may be used in both a meat and dairy meal, as it wouldn't come in contact with the other food on the table. One should be mindful if there are children at the table, as it may be problematic to re-serve the food since it is more likely that the food would get dirty.
It is interesting to note that while there are many reasons given for the custom to eat dairy on Shavuot. The Rema (Shulhan Aruch 594:3) explains the custom based on the previous halacha. It appears the custom in his time was to start the meal with dairy and then in the middle clear off all the dairy and switch to a meat meal. The Rema explains that based on the above halacha, they would need to bring new bread to the table. The requirement to have two separate breads would then serve as a remembrance of the Sh'tei Ha'lehem - the two-bread offering brought in the Bet Hamikdash on Shavuot.
