Tag: easy vegan challah

vegan egg challah

Vegan Egg Challah & How to Rise Challah in Cold Kitchens

Mixing up my challah recipe may be my favorite thing to do. I bake challah every week, so seeing how I can incorporate new flavors into this weekly ritual is exciting and fun. So, when someone mentioned a vegan egg challah, I knew I had to give it a try.

I’ve mentioned before that I didn’t start eating challah until I was a sophomore in college, and even then, much of the challah I was eating wasn’t made with egg in the dough (egg was still used as a wash though). So, I wasn’t really sure what the allure of an egg challah really even was. That is, until I made one for myself.

vegan egg challah

I used Just Egg plant-based scramble as an egg replacer for my challah, and y’all, this challah turned out absolutely delish. I still love non-egg based challot, but the addition of vegan egg adds a savory, eggy flavor that is just a different kind of delicious. Plus, using the egg replacer as an egg wash makes for a beautiful challah.

The recipe doesn’t change much, and I still encourage you to read over my tips for a successful challah on my basic challah post. I swapped out much of the water for Just Egg, and if you’d like an even eggier flavor you can swap out more of the water for the Just Egg scramble. I also recommend reducing the amount of sugar, specifically if you’re going to do a savory flavored challah like poppy seed. I reduced the sugar by 1 tbsp to 3 tbsp. I would include no more than 4tbsp total.

easy vegan egg challah

The last tip is for folks who are struggling with cold kitchens this winter. Y’all, my apartment is freezing right now (it regularly gets down to 60 degrees or lower in my kitchen). This makes it really difficult for my challah to rise and can make it harder to get a fluffy challah. After getting some advice on Instagram from my lovely followers, I gave a new method a try. 

If you’re struggling with a cold kitchen too, you can try boiling some water in a pot and placing it and your challah in its own bowl (covered in plastic wrap or a towel) in your oven (make sure your oven is NOT on when you do this). Give your challah time to rise. During this time, you may need to swap out the boiling water a few times (I needed to swap it our 2-3 times). It made the rising time go much quicker and it keeps the dough moist!

If you’re feeling nostalgic for egg challah or you just want to give a new challah recipe a try, this Easy Vegan Egg Challah is for you! I would love the hear how this recipe turns out for you and what changes you made to make it your own. 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!






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easy vegan whole wheat challah

Easy Vegan Challah: Whole Wheat Challah

I consider myself a bit of an expert on vegan challah – I’ve been baking vegan challah for almost 8 years now. Ever since I put my basic challah recipe online, I’ve gotten lots of questions about different substitutions folks were interested in making. One of the biggest questions I was asked was about substituting whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour in my recipe, so I decided to give it a try.

First, I want to say that I love whole wheat breads. Dave’s Killer bread with seeds and whole wheats are totally my jam. I love a lot of texture in my bread. At the same time, I’m also a big fan of white bread and, of course, I love my classic challah recipe. (Don’t get me started on potato bread – not a fan.) If you’re going to make whole wheat challah, you have to go into it expecting it to be different than a challah made with all-purpose flour. 

Whole wheat flour is made with all parts of the wheat berry while all-purpose flour has parts removed. Whole wheat flour has more flavor and more texture, which impacts the final product regardless of the baked good you are making. It also impacts the rise of the dough – the flour itself is sharp and breaks the gluten bonds more easily than all-purpose flour does, meaning it won’t rise as much as a bread made with all-purpose flour.

whole wheat vegan challah

All this to say, a whole wheat challah is still super delicious. It’s just different. 

In this recipe, I’ve switched out all of the the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. The result was a super flavorful, earthy, and somewhat nutty flavored challah. While not as fluffy as my typical challah, it was still quite fluffy.

If you would like, you can experiment with substituting different amounts of whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour to get the amount of rise/texture/flavor that’s right for you. 

Before getting started, I highly recommend looking over my tips for the best challah you can make in my basic challah recipe. The biggest tips would be to ensure your challah doubles in size in each rise and to sift and whisk your flour.

As a reminder, you can also make your challot oil free by substituting fruit or vegetable puree for the oil 1:1. If you want to make other substitutions, please feel free to let me know if you have other substitution questions because I’m happy to work with you on those!

This Whole Wheat Vegan Challah Recipe is another way to mix up your challah baking. I would love the hear how this recipe turns out for your and how you make it your own. 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!

whole wheat vegan challah
Print Recipe

Whole Wheat Vegan Challah

This vegan challah features whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, creating a challah loaf with a earthier and nuttier flavor and more texture.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Rising Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: challah, challah baking, challah bread, vegan challah, vegan whole wheat challah, whole wheat challah
Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 3 cups whole wheat 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
  • toppings as needed

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 ½ 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 degrees F. Transfer your dough back to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls of dough.
  • Roll the dough balls into strips between your hands.
  • - If you are going to stuff the challah, create a divet in the dough with your fingers down the center of each strip that you are going to fill.
  • - Fill the divet with your selected topping and then pinch the edges of the dough together to close the dough.
  • Braid the strips together by placing them side by side. Take the three ends of each of the strips and bring them together while the other ends are angled outwards.
  • Bring the outside strip on the right to the middle of the other two strips. Then, bring the outside strip on the left to the middle of the other two. Repeat until you've braided all the way down. Fix the ends of the challah by braiding and tucking the ends underneath the loaf.
  • Place the challah on a parchment paper lined tray. Cover the loaves with hand towels and let rise until doubled in size and puffy, at least 30 minutes.
  • Put your tray in the oven. Bake for 20 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 20 minutes, remove the challah from the oven and wash with the mixture you created. As you are placing the wash, place your toppings on top, using the wash as a sticky surface for your toppings.
  • Place the tray back in the oven for 20-30 more minutes, until golden brown and a fork placed in between the braids comes out clean. Another method you can try is tapping the bottom of the challah and seeing if it sounds hollow.
  • 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

  • Alternatively, you can allow your dough to rise in the fridge overnight after braiding. This allows you to split the process in half so it’s less time all at once and it allows your dough to rise a little longer. The only difference is instead of covering with hand towels, you’ll cover with aluminum foil and put it in the fridge. Then follow the instructions the same way.
  • Some fun toppings that I've used in the past include: sprinkles, cookie butter, vegan beef & cheese, rosemary & garlic, apple & cinnamon, cinnamon sugar, and lemon poppyseed. The sky is the limit when it comes to challah flavors - get creative!
  • For basically five years I pretty much ate challah right out of the oven. And then I had a day where I had to let it cool for some reason and couldn't eat it right away. And y'all, challah is EVEN BETTER when you let it cool completely first. You can always reheat it in the oven (350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes, wrapped in foil) if you like your bread warm.

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vegan chocolate challah

Happy Challah-Ween! Vegan Chocolate Challah

I’ve mentioned this before, but challah was the first recipe I really felt like I had mastered. It gave me a lot of confidence in the kitchen, and I felt like an expert in challah baking when I was first starting out. I’ve done a lot of experimenting with my challah recipe, so when I first decided to try making an entirely chocolate loaf, I really thought it would be no problem. However, I was definitely wrong – it took me many tries to get this recipe right!

vegan chocolate challah

Chocolate has a big impact on the way a recipe bakes for a lot of different reasons, so adding cocoa powder to my challah recipe wasn’t as easy as just substituting it for some of the flour (although that is what I initially thought!). I made some other tweaks to my original recipe – adding some additional sugar to make this loaf a bit sweeter and using a bit more yeast to help with the rise, for example. The process was a lot of trial and error, and I had to go through many loaves of challah that weren’t exactly right before landing on this recipe.

Taking the recipes you love and changing them can be frustrating sometimes (I tested this recipe three days in a row without getting it right – definitely frustrating), but it can also be satisfying when you finally get the end product you set out to create. I also wasn’t totally on my own – I asked other bakers for advice and searched for answers to my questions on the internet. That’s one of the best parts of joining an online community, whether that be through following someone on Instagram or Facebook, joining a vegan baking group on social media, or commenting on recipe posts – most often, someone will be willing to help you out!

vegan chocolate challah

Ultimately, after several tests, this recipe turned out incredibly chocolate-y and fluffy. This chocolate challah makes a nice treat – try it with ice cream or roasted fruit. Or try eating it on it’s own for breakfast, a snack, or dessert! 

You can also stuff this challah just like any other. There are so many options – peanut butter and jelly, chocolate chips, fruit, and more. Think about the flavors that you like with chocolate and try stuffing your challah with it! If you don’t feel like stuffing your challah, you can always add it on top as well either while it’s baking or after it’s done.

All of the tips I mentioned in my basic recipe apply here as well, so I encourage you to give that post a read to ensure the fluffiest challah you can get. The only major difference is that in this recipe, you must use all 5 cups of flour indicated below – if not, the challah braids won’t hold well when baking and will sort of melt into each other. Your challah will still taste good, but the braids won’t look as nice.

vegan chocolate challah

This recipe is a great comfort food and perfect for Halloween (p.s. this year, Halloween is on Shabbat – meaning it’s Challahween!). It’s also great for sharing with others and could make a great, thoughtful, sweet gift. You can find ingredients for this that are kosher to make this chocolate challah kosher if needed.

I would love the hear how this recipe turns out for you and how you make it your own (especially what yummy things you fill this challah with). 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 chocolate challah
Print Recipe

Vegan Chocolate Challah

If you love chocolate and you love challah, well, this recipe is for you! Full of chocolate flavor and sweeter than my basic challah recipe, this challah bread is a real treat.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Rising Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: baking, challah, challah baking, challah bread, chocolate challah, easy vegan baking, vegan baking, vegan challah
Servings: 2 loaves

Equipment

  • stand mixer (optional)

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cup water warm
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup oil plus an extra 1 tbsp
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp dry active yeast
  • ¼ cup water warm
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tbsp non-dairy milk
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

  • Mix the sugar, oil, salt, vanilla, and 1 cup water in a large bowl until everything is dissolved. Using warm water helps.
  • In a separate bowl sprinkle the yeast over the ½ cup water. Sprinkle a dash of sugar on top. Set aside for at least 5 minutes until foamy looking.
  • In the large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), add 1¼ cup of flour and the cocoa powder 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 all of the flour.
  • 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 degrees F. Transfer your dough back to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls of dough.
  • Roll the dough balls into strips between your hands.
    - If you are going to stuff the challah, create a divet in the dough with your fingers down the center of each strip that you are going to fill.
    - Fill the divet with your selected topping and then pinch the edges of the dough together to close the dough.
  • Braid the strips together by placing them side by side. Take the three ends of each of the strips and bring them together while the other ends are angled outwards.
  • Bring the outside strip on the right to the middle of the other two strips. Then, bring the outside strip on the left to the middle of the other two. Repeat until you've braided all the way down. Fix the ends of the challah by braiding and tucking the ends underneath the loaf.
  • Place the challah on a parchment paper lined tray. Cover the loaves with hand towels and let rise until doubled in size and puffy, at least 30 minutes.
  • Put your tray in the oven. Bake for 20 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 20 minutes, remove the challah from the oven and wash with the mixture you created. As you are placing the wash, place your toppings on top, using the wash as a sticky surface for your toppings.
  • Place the tray back in the oven for 20-30 more minutes, until golden brown and a fork placed in between the braids comes out clean. Another method you can try is tapping the bottom of the challah and seeing if it sounds hollow.
  • Once your challah is done, let it rest on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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vegan pomegranate challah rolls

Rosh Hashanah Recipes: Vegan Pomegranate Shaped Challah Rolls

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.

vegan pomegranate shaped challah rolls

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.

vegan pomegranate shaped challah rolls

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
Print Recipe

Vegan Pomegranate Challah Rolls

These rolls are perfectly sized for sharing at your table, or for handing out to neighbors and friends. Subtly sweet, fluffy, and delightfully shaped, these pomegranate rolls are sure to impress.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Rising Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: baking, challah, challah baking, challah bread, fun vegan recipes, kosher vegan recipes, rosh hashanah recipes, rosh hashanah vegan challah, vegan challah, vegan rosh hashanah, vegan rosh hashanah recipes
Servings: 10 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

For basically five years I pretty much ate challah right out of the oven. And then I had a day where I had to let it cool for some reason and couldn't eat it right away. And y'all, challah is EVEN BETTER when you let it cool completely first. You can always reheat it in the oven (350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes, wrapped in foil) if you like your bread warm.

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fluffy vegan challah

Go-To Recipes: Easy & Fluffy Vegan Challah

I’ve been in a routine of baking challah every week lately. I’ve always found kneading challah dough, braiding, and baking it to be both therapeutic and spiritual. Having that in my life right now has been really great. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to play around with new flavor combinations that I hadn’t thought to try in a challah (hello, cilantro lime!). It’s giving me a lot of freedom to be creative with my challah baking because I know next week I get to try again!

fluffy vegan challah

What I also realized through this process is that there were some things that could be improved about my 8-Ingredient Vegan Challah recipe that I hadn’t realized before. While I’m working on updating that page to reflect those changes, I did want to create a whole new recipe page for a single loaf of challah! While I love making challah to share with my neighbors, making three loaves every week is still a lot of challah, even when I am sharing with neighbors and friends!

So, what you’ll find here in this post is all of the improvements to my recipe, as well as the recipe and ingredients to make just one loaf of challah. These improvements have helped me make some of the fluffiest challot I have ever made, so I am really excited to share them with you. 

fluffy vegan challah

One major change to the way you should handle your flour: Whisk the flour in the container before removing any from the container. Measure it into the measure cup, overfill the cup, then level it off with the flat edge of a butter knife. Pour it into a bowl through a sieve to sift it. This one change brought my challah game up a notch.

A note about flour: I don’t mention below any particular kind of flour to use. I recommend using all-purpose flour – it’s the flour I use most often and the one this recipe is based off of. However, you can play with the kinds of flour you use. I would recommend reading up on the flour you want to use before using it (or reaching out to me, I’m happy to help brainstorm with you) first. You can also do a mix of all-purpose flour and bread flour (I’ve done 2.5 cups AP and .5 cups bread flour).

On yeast: The other major change I made was the method for incorporating and type of yeast I used. I would recommend using the method below and dry active yeast. I’m a big fan of Fleischmann’s yeast products (they’re the ones I’ve always used). Be sure that the water you use is warm to the touch, but not hot. Using water that is too hot will kill the yeast, as it is a living thing!

Lastly, on patience: Challah is my weakness, y’all. When I was an undergrad and I had challah for the first time, I fell in love with it. I would eat my whole life I bought every two weeks from volunteering with Challah for Hunger pretty much immediately after my shift was over. It was hot out of the oven and absolutely delicious. But as I’ve grown older (and wiser????), I’ve realized the value of patience in this process. 

I purposefully have not given specific rising times for this recipe, as it is very difficult to know when they will be done without looking at them. Depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen, the rise times can change dramatically. I have the LEAST temperature controlled apartment – it’s freezing in the winter and hot as heck in the summer unless the air is on and then it’s freezing until you turn it off for 5 minutes and then it’s hot as heck again and you catch my drift. Depending on the temperature and humidity at any given moment in my apartment, it can take really different times for my dough to rise. Typically, it will take at least 30 minutes, so I would always plan for no less than that for each rise. What you are looking for in each rise are doughs that are doubles in size and puffy looking.

The other part of being patient is after your challah comes out of the oven. The texture and flavor of challah will be really good right out of the oven. It will be GREAT if you let it cool completely before taking a bite. 

fluffy vegan challah

I hope that these notes help you make some delicious challah at home. I would love to hear how this recipe turns out for you and what flavors you tried. 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!

easy vegan challah
Print Recipe

Easy Vegan Challah (Single Loaf Recipe)

This easy to follow recipe will provide you with a fluffy loaf of challah for your shabbat celebrations (or to add something special to your week). Add your favorite toppings and fillings to create a challah that's uniquely yours!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Rising Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: challah baking, easy vegan baking, jewish food, jewish vegan food, vegan challah, vegan shabbat
Servings: 1 challot

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
  • toppings as needed

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 ½ 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 degrees F. Transfer your dough back to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls of dough.
  • Roll the dough balls into strips between your hands.
    - If you are going to stuff the challah, create a divet in the dough with your fingers down the center of each strip that you are going to fill.
    - Fill the divet with your selected topping and then pinch the edges of the dough together to close the dough.
  • Braid the strips together by placing them side by side. Take the three ends of each of the strips and bring them together while the other ends are angled outwards.
  • Bring the outside strip on the right to the middle of the other two strips. Then, bring the outside strip on the left to the middle of the other two. Repeat until you've braided all the way down. Fix the ends of the challah by braiding and tucking the ends underneath the loaf.
  • Place the challah on a parchment paper lined tray. Cover the loaves with hand towels and let rise until doubled in size and puffy, at least 30 minutes.
  • Put your tray in the oven. Bake for 20 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 20 minutes, remove the challah from the oven and wash with the mixture you created. As you are placing the wash, place your toppings on top, using the wash as a sticky surface for your toppings.
  • Place the tray back in the oven for 20-30 more minutes, until golden brown and a fork placed in between the braids comes out clean. Another method you can try is tapping the bottom of the challah and seeing if it sounds hollow.
  • 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

Alternatively, you can allow your dough to rise in the fridge overnight after braiding. This allows you to split the process in half so it’s less time all at once and it allows your dough to rise a little longer. The only difference is instead of covering with hand towels, you’ll cover with aluminum foil and put it in the fridge. Then follow the instructions the same way.
Some fun toppings that I've used in the past include: sprinkles, cookie butter, vegan beef & cheese, rosemary & garlic, apple & cinnamon, cinnamon sugar, and lemon poppyseed. The sky is the limit when it comes to challah flavors - get creative!
For basically five years I pretty much ate challah right out of the oven. And then I had a day where I had to let it cool for some reason and couldn't eat it right away. And y'all, challah is EVEN BETTER when you let it cool completely first. You can always reheat it in the oven (350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes, wrapped in foil) if you like your bread warm.

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