How Should I Dispose of the Challah I Separated?

In the days of the Beis Hamikdash, challah was given to a Kohen who was required to eat it when he was tahor (ritually clean). Since today our challah is tamei (ritually unclean), it is not eaten by the Kohen. Instead, we have a mitzvah to burn it. Because challah may not be eaten, it is like all other non-kosher foods, and should not be placed directly on kosher pans or on the oven surface. If the oven is empty or is being used to bake dry items (such as bread), one may place the challah dough on a separate piece of aluminum foil. If there are foods in the oven that contain liquid, or that are oily, such as meat and poultry, one should wrap the challah dough in aluminum foil. Preferably it should be wrapped in a double layer of foil to prevent tears. The challah should be left in the oven until it is thoroughly burnt. One should flatten the dough as much as possible, so that it will burn more easily.

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt”l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.