L’shana tova! I’ve spent the last two days thinking about what makes a challah something different than just bread. I think most would say the iconic braiding and some would say it’s the bit you pull off and burn with a blessing (which is actually where the word “challah” comes from!). For me, what makes a challah is the dough, the process, the intention, the setting – heck, even the day I’m making it. There has always been something spiritual to me about challah baking, whether my braids have been perfect or not.
So, even though these rolls don’t have any kind of braid, I’m still calling them challah. Because, to me, they really can’t be anything else. They are using my challah dough recipe and ingredients and I made them on the same day I make challah every week. They taste just like challah, and they’re fluffy like challah, too. I’m even going to eat them in celebration of Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah.
Being creative is part of how I am Jewish, especially with food. These pomegranate shaped challah rolls are certainly no exception. Not only was this a super creative endeavor, but it was also incredibly fun! Rolling out all of the different sized balls and mimicking the shape of the pomegranates was a really great time. I think this would be a great activity to enjoy with kids if you’d like to enlist the help of the little ones in your family.
One you’ve got these fluffy rolls made, you can enjoy them in so many ways. While they are subtly sweet, you can certainly enjoy them as a dinner roll (you can even cut down on the sweetness slightly by changing up the ratio of vegan milk to maple syrup in the wash – just use a bit less maple syrup). They also taste amazing with vegan butter and honey, or warmed up with a scoop of ice cream. Honestly, they also taste incredible on their own!
However you think of challah, these vegan pomegranate shaped challah rolls are fluffy and delish and will make the perfect addition to your Rosh Hashanah or fall shabbat dinner. I would love the hear how making them turned out for you. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!
Vegan Pomegranate Challah Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour plus more for kneading
- ⅔ cups water warm
- 3 tbsp water warm
- ¼ cup sugar plus a dash more
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp dry active yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- non-dairy milk
- maple syrup
Instructions
- Mix the sugar, oil, salt, and ⅔ cup water in a large bowl until everything is dissolved. Using warm water helps.
- In a separate bowl sprinkle the yeast over the 3 tbsp water. Sprinkle a dash of sugar on top. Set aside for at least 5 minutes until foamy looking.
- In the large bowl, add 1 cup of flour and mix. All the clumps may not go away. It’s okay, you can go on to the next step!
- Add about 1 cup of flour and the yeast mixture to the large bowl and mix.
- Slowly continue adding flour. As your mixture becomes thicker, add the flour more and more slowly. Add flour until the dough only slightly sticks to your hands.
- Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl at first for approximately 5 minutes. You’ll need to coat your hands with flour as needed, and continue reapplying the flour throughout so that the dough remains only slightly sticky to the touch. Then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes more.
- Alternatively, you can knead in a stand mixer using the dough hook for 10 minutes on a medium setting.
- Transfer the dough back to the bowl (make sure it is lightly floured). Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and cover with a damp washcloth. Let is rise until doubled in size, for at least 30 minutes.
- After the dough has risen, preheat your over to 350° F. Transfer your dough back to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 11 equals balls of dough.
- Roll the balls until they are smooth. You may need to pinch the sides down to the bottom to ensure the edges are smooth. Repeat with 10 of the 11 balls.
- Divide the last ball into 10 smaller balls. In a small dish, place a little bit of water. Wet your finger and in the center of the top of one large ball, make a circle of water. Do the same thing on the bottom of one of the small balls. Stick the small ball to the large ball. Repeat with the rest of the balls.
- With a pair of scissors, cut the small ball in half about ¾ of the way down. Cut each of the half pieces in half as well. Repeat with the rest.
- Place the challah balls on a parchment paper lined tray. Gently cover over the pomegranate rolls with hand towels or reusable kitchen napkins and let rise until doubled in size and puffy, at least 30 minutes.
- Put your tray in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
- While your challah is in the oven, create the wash for the top of the challah by mixing equal parts non-dairy milk with maple syrup.
- After the 10 minutes, remove the rolls from the oven and wash with the mixture you created.
- Place the tray back in the oven for 10-15 more minutes, until golden brown.
- Once your challah is done, let it rest on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
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