19. Cooked bread – Blessing on Bread placed in soups, stew, or other dishes:[1]

The law is that only baked dough receives the blessing of Hamotzi/Birchas Hamazon as opposed to cooked dough, as explained in Halacha 15??. Now, what is law regarding if a baked product was then cooked? Does the bread remain Hamotzi or does it become Mezonos? This is dependent on a) whether the bread maintains its appearance of bread which is determined by whether it still maintains the size of a Kezayis and b) whether it was placed in a pot on the fire, off the fire, or a Keli Sheiyni.

1. Cooked on fire:[2]

The following is the law by cooked bread:

Cooked a Kezayis of bread: If one cooked a Kezayis or more piece of bread and due to the cooking the bread disintegrated to the point that it no longer retains the size of a Kezayis, then its blessing is demoted to Mezonos. This applies even if one sets a meal on this bread. If, however, the bread still retains the size of a Kezayis, then its blessing remains Hamotzi. This applies even if the bread has lost its appearance as bread. [Accordingly, if in the same soup some bread retains the size of a Kezayis and some do not, then those pieces which contain a Kezayis are Hamotzi and those with less than a Kezayis are Mezonos.]

Cooked pieces of bread that are less than a Kezayis:[3] If one broke the bread to pieces of less than a Kezayis prior to cooking them, some opinions rule that such bread is always Mezonos even if it still retains the appearance of bread and even if the pieces stuck to each other and now contain a Kezayis. Practically, Safek Brachos Lihakel and hence one is to say a blessing of Mezonos and Al Hamichyah on such bread. However a Baal Nefesh should be stringent to eat this bread within a meal if the pieces still contain the appearance of bread, and he will be eating to the point of satiation. If the less than a Kezayis piece lost its appearance of bread, then its blessing is demoted to Mezonos according to all opinions, even if one will be satiated from it.  

• Example – Kneidlach: Knedilach are Mezonos. See Halacha 23 for full details.

1. Keli Rishon – In a pot off the fire:[4]

Its status: Placing bread into a pot that used to be on the fire and is still Yad Soeldes, has the same status and law as one who places the bread into a pot that is currently boiling on the fire [Halacha A], as the pot cooks the bread. We will summarize its law next.

Its law: If one placed into the hot Keli Rishon a Kezayis or more piece of bread then if the bread no longer retains the size of a Kezayis, then its blessing is demoted to Mezonos. If, however, the bread still retains the size of a Kezayis, then its blessing remains Hamotzi. If the bread that was placed is less than a Kezayis in size then it is a dispute as to what blessing it should receive and we rule that Safek Brachos Lihakel and hence one is to say Mezonos and Al Hamichyah on such bread. However, a Baal Nefesh should be stringent to eat it within a meal if they contain the appearance of bread and he will be eating enough to make him satiated.

• Example – Hamotzi croutons: If Hamotzi croutons [see above Halacha 12??] are placed into a hot Keli Rishon, they are defined as cooked and subject to the above debate and in conclusion they receive a Mezonos blessing.

1. Keli Sheiyni – Soup bowl:[5]

Its status: A Keli Sheiyni does not have the ability to cook the bread. Accordingly, all the above discussion referred to a case that one placed the bread into a pot that is on the fire or used to be on the fire and is still hot. If however one placed the bread into a Keli Sheyni, such as into a bowl of soup, then it remains Hamotzi, as will now be explained.

Its law: All bread which was placed into a Keli Shiyni retains its blessing of Hamotzi even if one initially placed into it pieces of bread which are less than a Kezayis, and even if one placed into it a piece that has the size of a Kezayis which later disintegrated and became less than a Kezayis. If, however, the piece disintegrated to the point that it has completely lost its appearance of bread, then even if it was placed in cold water it becomes Mezonos. [This however only applies by a less than Kezayis piece. However, by a Kezayis of bread that has retained its Kezayis size, it remains Hamotzi even if it has lost its appearance and even within a Keli Rishon, as ruled above in A.[6]]

• Example – Hamotzi croutons: If Hamotzi croutons [see above Halacha 12??] are placed into a Keli Sheiyni bowl of soup then it is not defined as cooked, and hence only if the croutons are left inside the liquid long enough for them to disintegrate and lose and resemblance they have to bread are they defined as Mezonos, otherwise they remain Hamotzi.

1. Iruiy Keli Rishon – Poured soup onto bread that was in bowl:[7]

Its status: Iruiy Keli Rishon refers to one who poured hot water or other liquid from a Keli Rishon pot that was on the fire onto bread. It has the ability to cook a layers worth of food.

Its law: If one poured hot water or other liquid from a Keli Rishon onto bread [i.e. poured from the pot that was on fire into a bowl with bread] then it is questionable whether it has ability to cook the bread or not. Thus, it is questionable whether it has the same law as a Keli Rishon [Halacha A-B], or retains the law of a Keli Sheiyni [Halacha C]. Practically if the bread retains the size of a Kezayis, then its blessing remains Hamotzi. If, however, the bread no longer retains the size of a Kezayis, or was initially less than a Kezayis in size, then so long as it has not disintegrated completely, one must eat it within a meal due to doubt to its blessing [i.e. Hamotzi like Klei Sheiyni, or Mezonos like Keli Rishon]. If, however, the piece disintegrated to the point that it has completely lost its appearance of bread, then even if it was placed in cold water it becomes Mezonos, if it is less than a Kezayis in size.

• Example- Bread bowl soup: A bread bowl is a round loaf of bread with the top cut off and the inside hollowed out. It’s used as a bowl for serving soups. One must recite Hamotzi and Birchas Hamazon upon eating the bread bowl even when the soup is poured directly into it from a Keli Rishon, as it retains a Kezayis in size.

1. Disintegration – The law if the bread has disintegrated:[8]

In all cases that the bread is less than a Kezayis in size, whether it began that way or became less than a Kezayis through the cooking, and if it has disintegrated in the water to the point that it has lost its appearance then its blessing is demoted to Mezonos [even if one sets a meal over it], irrelevant of whether the water was hot or cold.

Definition – How does one tell if the bread has lost his appearance? If the liquid in which the bread has soaked has become white due to the disintegration of the bread, then its less than Kezayis pieces are Mezonos.

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[1] Seder Birchas Hanehnin 2:13-14; Ketzos Hashulchan 48:11-13;

[2] Seder 2:13; Ketzos Hashulchan 48:11

[3] Seder 2:13; Ketzos Hashulchan 48:12

[4] Seder 2:14; Ketzos Hashulchan 48:13;

[5] Admur Seder 2:14; 168:18; Ketzos Hashulchan 48:13

[6] Seder 2:13

[7] Admur Seder 2:14; 168:18; Ketzos Hashulchan 48:13

[8] Admur Seder 2:14; 168:18; Ketzos Hashulchan 48:13