Challah Recipes, Challah Made With Aquafaba, Recipes Of The Week, Rosh Hashanah, Challah French Toast, Pumpkin Challah Rolls

"Challah" is a special type of bread eaten during the Jewish Sabbath and special holidays. This spiraled bread is traditionally made with white flour and eggs. Try this vegan and gluten-free version below.

CHALLAH [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

THIS RECIPE IS :

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tsp. egg replacer + 6 Tbs. warm water
  • 2 Tbs. ground flax (or chia) + 6 Tbs. warm water
  • 2/3 cup warm water + 2 tsp. sugar + 1 ½ Tbs. or 2 packets active dry yeast
  • 2 ¼ cups gluten-free oat flour
  • 2 cups gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbs. guar gum (or xanthan gum)
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 Tbs. melted vegan butter or ¼ cup oil
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • Non-dairy milk or oil for brushing
  • Sesame and/or poppy seeds

PREPARATION

  1. In a mug or small bowl, combine the egg replacer with warm water. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. In a 2nd mug or small bowl, combine the flax and warm water. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes a thick gel. In a 3rd bowl, combine the warm water with the sugar. Add the yeast, mix and let sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes very frothy.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar, guar gum, salt and turmeric. Mix well so everything is well combined. Push the dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl to form a well.
  3. In another bowl (yes, there are a lot of bowls to wash but not on Shabbos), mix the warm water, butter or oil and vinegar. It will look a little clumpy from the vinegar. Add these wet ingredients to the well of the dry ingredients but don’t mix yet.
  4. To the well add the egg replacer mixture, the flax gel and the mayonnaise. Using a whisk, mix these wet ingredients in the well a bit. Lastly, add the yeast mixture to the well. Using a spatula, mix the ingredients in the well, incorporating the flour more and more until all the flour has been mixed with the wet ingredients. It will not form a dough but a very thick and sticky batter. You can mix it with your hand but wet your hand first.
  5. When the batter is thoroughly mixed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Put the bowl in a warm area and allow it to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. While you’re waiting, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and oil the challah mold or baking pan.
  6. After the hour, wet your hand and mix the batter again for a minute. It will deflate. Fill the mold or pan with the batter between 1/2 and 2/3 full. This is important because the batter will rise again now and again in the oven. If you fill it higher than 2/3, it will overflow. If you have extra batter, put it in another pan to make another small loaf or in an oiled muffin tin to make little challah muffins. Cover the mold with plastic wrap and the damp towel and allow it to rise another 30 minutes or until it almost reaches the top of the mold. If you let it rise to the very top of the mold, it may overflow when it rises again in the oven.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the towel and plastic wrap and place the mold on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until the top (which is really the bottom of the loaf) is browned. Take the baking sheet out of the oven. Using potholders (the mold will be very hot), carefully turn the mold over so the challah releases and is on the parchment paper.
  8. Brush the top of the loaf with milk or oil and sprinkle the poppy and/or sesame seeds on top. Return the challah to the oven and bake for another 30 -35 minutes or until the challah is golden brown and has a hollow sound when you thump on it. The time may vary depending on your oven and the size loaves you are making.
  9. Let the challah cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving it to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing or saying prayers over. Shabbat Shalom.
Even people who don’t eat challah regularly know it’s one of the best breads for French toast. It’s soft and soaks up the batter, yet it’s hearty and can hold it all. My go-to batter to substitute for egg batters is a chickpea batter. It tastes very eggy and if you have black salt, even more so. A little cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg add more delicious flavor. This Challah French Toast is crispy but tender; the challah is so light and delicious! The batter is perfect and topped with maple syrup and fresh fruit, so it’s the perfect breakfast or brunch dish.
Pumpkin and challah bread go together like chocolate chips and cookies ... which is to say they are a perfect match! The pumpkin does double duty in this recipe by not only flavoring the bread but acting as an egg replacer as well. This would be a great side for your favorite autumn soups, stews, or chilis – or you can enjoy them on their own with a generous smear of vegan butter.

PUMPKIN CHALLAH ROLLS [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 teaspoons egg replacer plus 6 tablespoons warm water
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax plus 6 tablespoons warm water
  • 2/3 cup warm water plus 2 teaspoons sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons  or 2 packets active dry yeast
  • 4 cups gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend
  • 1 tablespoon guar gum
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 tablespoons melted vegan butter or 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • Coconut milk, for brushing (try to find a pumpkin spice flavor if you can!)

PREPARATION

  1. In a mug or small bowl, combine the egg replacer with warm water. Stir and let sit for five minutes. In a second mug or small bowl, combine the flax and warm water. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes a thick gel. In a third bowl, combine the warm water with the sugar. Add the yeast, mix and let sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes very frothy.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar, guar gum, salt, and turmeric. Mix well so everything is well combined. Push the dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl to form a well.
  3. In another bowl, mix the warm water, butter or oil, and vinegar. It will look a little clumpy from the vinegar.  Add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Add this pumpkin mixture to the well of the dry ingredients but don’t mix yet.
  4. To the well add the egg replacer mixture and the flax mixture. Using a whisk, mix these wet ingredients in the well a bit. Lastly, add the yeast mixture to the well. Using a spatula, mix the ingredients in the well, incorporating the flour more and more until all the flour has been mixed with the wet ingredients. It will not form a dough but a very thick and sticky batter. You can mix it with your hand but wet your hand first.
  5. When the batter is thoroughly mixed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Put the bowl in a warm area and allow it to rise for 1 hour. It should easily double in size. While you’re waiting, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and oil the challah rolls molds.
  6. After the hour, wet your hand and mix the batter again for a minute. It will deflate. Fill the molds with the batter only 2/3 of the way full. This is important because the batter will rise now and again in the oven. If you fill them higher than 2/3, it will overflow.  If you have extra batter, put it in another pan to make another small loaf or in an oiled muffin tin to make little challah muffins. Cover the mold with plastic wrap and the damp towel and allow it to rise another 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the towel and plastic wrap and place the mold on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until the top (which is really the bottom of the loaf) is browned. Take the baking sheet out of the oven. Using potholders (the mold will be very hot), carefully turn the mold over so the challah releases and is on the parchment paper.
  8. Brush the top of the rolls with milk. Return the challah to the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the challah is golden brown and has a hollow sound when you thump on the bottom of it. The time may vary depending on your oven and the size loaves you are making.
  9. Let the challah cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving it to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing or saying prayers over.

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CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST 

THIS RECIPE IS :

SERVES

8 slices

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp. black salt
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  • 2 cups non-dairy vanilla milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla (if not using vanilla milk)
  • 8 slices vegan challah or gluten-free challah
  • 3 tbs vegan butter
  • Maple syrup
  • Fresh fruit
  • Your favorite toppings

PREPARATION

  1. In a shallow bowl, combine the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, black salt, cinnamon, turmeric and nutmeg. Mix well. Whisk in 2 cups of your favorite non-dairy milk and vanilla. The batter should be relatively thin, similar to pancake batter.
  2. Soak the challah slices in the batter for a few minutes on each side. You want the challah to soak up some batter. Heat a tablespoon of butter in a skillet or on a griddle pan over medium heat. Shake the excess batter off the challah slices and lay them on the griddle pan to cook. You don’t want the heat too high because you need to let the inside of the toast cook while the outside is browning. Cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side of the challah.
  3. Add more butter to the griddle as needed between batches. Serve with maple syrup, more butter, fresh fruit or any of your favorite toppings.

NUTRIONAL INFORMATION

Total Calories: 1456 | Total Carbs: 149 g | Total Fat: 65 g | Total Protein: 45 g | Total Sodium: 1159 g | Total Sugar: 18 g

(Per Serving) Calories: 182 | Carbs: 19 g | Fat: 8 g | Protein: 6 g | Sodium: 145 g | Sugar: 2 g

NOTES

You can make this soy and gluten-free by using gluten-free challah and soy-free vegan butter. 

AUTHOR & RECIPE DETAILS


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When Rhea became vegan, there were no places in her Bronx neighborhood to eat so she had to learn to cook, mostly by watching TV cooking shows, especially Christina Pirello and Rachael Ray.  That led to the creation of The "V" Word websitewhich focuses on vegan versions of favorite, familiar foods. Rhea has written several e-cookbooks which are available on her web site. It is Rhea's hope that she can spread the "V" Word to bring more compassion into the world and it is her dream to become the vegan Rachael Ray.
























You can't argue with the facts: challah is pretty darn tasty. It’s a little sweet and it has a beautiful, glossy, glazed top. It is traditionally made with eggs, but this brilliant recipe swaps eggs for aquafaba (aka, the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and the result is wonderfully fluffy challah. You can also accent it with different flavors; kosher salt, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds are all popular ways to stud the top of your loaf. Serve with dinner or save it to make the best French toast ever.

CHALLAH MADE WITH AQUAFABA 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 cup water, divided
  • 1/4 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
  • 6 teaspoons sugar, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoon non-dairy milk
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

PREPARATION

  1. In a small bowl, place 1/4 cup warm tap water, and stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Then, sprinkle the yeast over top and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes. The yeast will become cloudy and dissolve.
  2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup aquafaba, 2 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining sugar. Whisk well to combine.
  3. Add the yeast.
  4. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer, and put the bowl in place. Turn on at a low speed, and start to add the flour, a little at a time, until it is all incorporated. The dough should be smooth and not tacky. You can also do this step by hand, but it’s a lot more work.
  5. Form the dough into a ball and rub it all over with about a tablespoon of oil. Place it back into the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rise in a warm spot for about 90 minutes.
  6. Pull the dough out of the bowl, and punch it down. Divide it into 6 equal balls. Roll each ball out to a rope, about 12-inches long. Mush three strands together at the top, then braid them, mushing them together at the end as well. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, then repeat with the other loaf.
  7. In a small bowl, mix together the vegan milk and the maple syrup, then brush it all over the tops of both loaves. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, or seeds of your choice.
  8. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the tops are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to slice. Best eaten warm.

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AUTHOR & RECIPE DETAILS


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Rebecca Coleman is a food and travel blogger based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and describes herself as a "localvore with a wanderlust. She is the author of "Aquafabulous!: 100+ Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba (Bean Water)." While solo parenting the world's greatest teenager, she teaches marketing at BCIT and UBC, has an unapologetic addiction to Americanos, and makes the best vegan "pulled pork" ever.