We begin by discussing the halachic ruling for a pourable batter, such as pancakes, that is boiled or fried. This follows up on yesterday's discussion concerning dough that is fried or cooked. On that matter, the Ben Shimshon ruled that the blessing for grain products should be recited, while the Ben Utab held that the blessing for bread is appropriate. The Shulchan Aruch cites both opinions. Chabin Sion suggested that the Ben Utab later retracted his view, thereby aligning with the Ben Shimshon's position that the blessing for grain products is correct. However, one might argue that the Ben Utab did not fully retract, but merely adopted a more cautious stance. Consequently, if one boils or fries a piece of dough until it becomes edible, it is advisable to first eat a piece of bread to resolve any potential doubt regarding the blessing, as this would cover the opinion requiring the blessing for bread. This approach is particularly relevant for fried dough, which some consider to warrant the blessing for bread.
A crucial distinction arises concerning the quantity consumed: if the amount of such dough is less than the volume of an olive, one can be lenient and recite the blessing for grain products without reservation. Yesterday, we discussed doughnuts. The reason they unequivocally receive the blessing for grain products is that the dough itself is sweet. For instance, the Moroccan *sfenj*, a famous item Rabbi Bittan is familiar with, is made from a soft, pancake-like batter. Even though it's flour and water, its sweet nature and soft consistency qualify it for the blessing for grain products. This applies even if one makes a meal of such items, like doughnuts or *zalabiya*, which are fried in oil. One must definitively recite the blessing for grain products, even if they are made with real dough and one eats an entire meal of them. This is because once dough is fried or cooked, it does not establish a meal, meaning there is no obligation to recite the Grace After Meals, even if one consumes a hundred of them; only the blessing after grain products is required. The Grace After Meals is only recited when a baked product is eaten until one is completely full.
Next, we consider the proper blessing for boiled grain products that do not resemble bread, such as noodles, macaroni, farina, pasta, bulgur wheat, or couscous. Even if one eats a full meal of these foods, the blessing for bread is not recited. For example, consuming ten bowls of spaghetti, despite being made from flour and water, does not necessitate the blessing for bread because it lacks the form of bread. This principle, that it has no form of bread, was established by the Ben Utab himself, who held that even when something is cooked initially, it only receives the blessing for bread if it starts with the form of bread. A piece of spaghetti or pasta is a flimsy item and does not resemble bread. Therefore, the blessing for bread is not made on such items. Even if one consumes a large quantity, there is no issue, as this applies only to baked items. These items are cooked, not baked, and thus are not comparable to eating bread, which is a baked product and can be considered bread in certain circumstances. These goods are boiled or fried, not baked. While they might be baked afterward to make them crispy, this secondary process does not change their fundamental status; they are never considered bread.
This is the ruling of Marani Sholat Zion in his Yom Yom Ha'olam. He added that if someone mistakenly recites the blessing for bread on macaroni, for instance, they have not fulfilled their obligation. Macaroni is not considered bread, and therefore the blessing for bread is recited in vain. One must then recite the correct blessing with reverence. If one mistakenly recites the Grace After Meals after eating such items, it is not considered in vain if they are still full, as the Grace After Meals is valid in such a case, though perhaps they made an extra blessing they shouldn't have.
A different scenario arises with a product made of dough that is first deep-fried and then baked in an oven. There is a debate whether to judge it according to the frying or the baking. Some rule that it is considered regular bread and requires the blessing for bread, along with the Grace After Meals. Other halachic decisors rule that the deep-frying converts the product, and therefore it is not considered bread. However, all halachic decisors agree that if one eats an amount equal to the volume of four eggs of such a product, they must recite the Grace After Meals because it was ultimately baked. Nevertheless, the speaker leaves the blessing for such an item in doubt.
Finally, we consider dough that is first dropped into boiling water, such as a bagel, and then baked in an oven. This is considered regular bread and requires the blessing for bread and the Grace After Meals. The boiling process in this case does not make the dough edible; it merely solidifies it, or 'poaches' or 'blanches' it, to prevent it from falling apart in the oven. It is a processing step, not a cooking step that renders it edible. Since the dough remains raw after boiling and is then baked, everyone agrees it is considered a baked product. The speaker recounts an anecdote where someone insisted it was boiled, but since it's not edible after boiling and is subsequently baked, it clearly falls under the category of baked goods. If someone mistakenly recites the Grace After Meals after eating doughnuts, their obligation is considered fulfilled.