Using Very Sweet Cinnamon Challahs for Lechem Mishneh

May I use very sweet cinnamon challahs for lechem mishneh (the two Shabbos loaves), even though they are more like cake than bread, and their bracha would be borei minei mezonos?

Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim 1:155) was asked a similar question: May one use egg matzos for lechem mishneh? Although there are opinions that hold that certain types of egg matzah are hamotzi, Rav Moshe writes that the dominant opinion is that egg matzah is considered pas haba’ah b’kisnin, and is therefore mezonos. If so, one would assume that egg matzos cannot be used for lechem mishneh. Nonetheless, Rav Moshe ruled that egg matzos can be used for the following reason: Pas haba’ah bekisnin has a status of mezonos because it is a dessert item. However, when egg matzoh is used for lechem mishneh, it is considered to be the staple item of the meal. In halachic terms, we refer to this as kevias seudah, and the bracha is elevated to hamotzi. Therefore, one may use egg matzos for lechem mishneh. From this ruling of Rav Moshe we can extrapolate that cinnamon rolls, or any other cake roll, can be used for lechem mishneh, and the bracha of hamotzi would be recited.

The Machatzis Hashekel (274:1) writes that if one will be reciting hamotzi on a regular loaf of bread, they may not use pas haba’ah b’kisnin as the second loaf. In this situation, there is no kevias seudah on the cake since they are reciting hamotzi on the bread and not the pas haba’ah b’kisnin. The cake roll remains mezonos and cannot be used for lechem mishneh.

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.