Q:

Schlissel Challah

What is the source for the "Key Challah" Segulah (charm) that is said to bring Parnassah (prosperity)? And which is it: do you put the key in the Challah or do you make the Challah in the shape of a key? I've heard of it both ways.

A:

Until recently I had no source for you other than a mimetic one: My mother (who is of Galician extraction) bakes the Challah on top of the house key.
Now I see in Ta'amei HaMinhagim that the custom is to make an indentation of the key in the Challah (ostensibly by pushing it into the dough and baking it that way).
The next page will also show some reasons.
Ultimately you will see there that the source is sefer Ohev Yisrael.

A:

In my quick Google search on the same topic yesterday, I came across this article with sources:
http://asimplejew.blogspot.com/2007/04/guest-posting-by-talmid-shlissel.html
And then this article that argued against the minhag:
http://www.alfassa.com/shlissel_challah.pdf

