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Maybe it's Rosh Hashanah, or any ol' time you need an excuse to bake a sweet round vegan challah? Well, listen, raisins are basic AF, and perhaps your whole crew would freak out a wee bit more with a challah that’s been spiked with lightly spiced pomegranate and apple, glistening with orange blossom glaze. This banger of a recipe ensures a stunning, delicious centerpiece for your holiday table, even if you normally sorta suck at baking.
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Years before going vegan, I grew up near the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where kosher restaurants and bakeries were plentiful. This included the OG Streit’s Matzo factory (which has since moved out to Jersey) that my dad would take us to on our annual pre-Pesach pilgrimage.
So, I knew going vegan, I’d have to veganize my fave Jewish breads. My vegan babka (and vegan cinnamon babka) came first. But for years, my wife Joey tweaked and refined our vegan challah recipe until it was the star of any (even non-vegan) Shabbat dinners we would share it at.
So naturally, we tweaked it further to come up with this version to serve for the Jewish New Year. This circular shape symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and the continuity of creation. Apples, often dipped in honey during Rosh Hashanah, represent the wish for a sweet new year. Pomegranates, with their numerous seeds, symbolize abundance and the sincere hope that our selfless deeds will multiply for others like the seeds of the fruit.
This recipe is designed to guide you through each step so that you bake up a legendary loaf even if it's your first time baking challah.
So, roll up your sleeves and let's bake up a glorious challah together!
Jump to:
😍 Why you’ll adore this pareve round challah recipe
🍎 Symbolic and Sweet: The apple and pomegranate filling isn’t just super-yummy—it’s rich in symbolism for Rosh Hashanah, bringing sweetness and abundance to your New Year celebration.
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan Jewish recipes, this water challah recipe has no egg yolks or other cholesterol at all! It’s completely pareve and can be served as part of any kosher meal.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all the vegan recipes I share, this one’s been rigorously tested by hundreds of recipe testers of all skill levels from around the world.
🍞 Vegan Rosh Hashanah Challah Ingredients
The Yeast
Instant yeast, also known as “quick-rise” or “bread machine yeast,” is my go-to for foolproof proofing in recipes like Korean donuts, msemen, and vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Active dry yeast works too—just monitor closely to avoid over-proofing.
The Sweetener
This recipe uses sugar in the dough, brown sugar in the filling, and agave nectar in the glaze. Coconut or palm sugar can replace the granulated sugars, and maple syrup works well instead of agave for the glaze.
The Flour
All-purpose flour delivers the best cake-y crumb. You can also make this recipe just fine using bread flour (which can turn out super tender, as is the case in my vegan cinnamon roll recipe).
If you want a more wholesome vegan challah, you can make it with up to 50% of the flour replaced with whole wheat flour for added fiber without compromising texture too much.
Don’t even think about trying to make this recipe using gluten-free flour—it will suck, and you will cry, and that’s that.
A Pinch of Turmeric
A bit of turmeric gives challah its signature eggy color. No turmeric? Crush saffron threads and dissolve ‘em into the wet ingredients instead.
Apples
Apples, a classic symbol of sweetness for Rosh Hashanah, add moisture and texture to the filling. I really love Pink Lady apples, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith apples. Because they are firmer and a little less sweet, they are all top choices when making my other apple recipes like vegan apple cider donuts, vegan apple muffins, and vegan apple pie too. Fuji (which I use in my vegan Japanese curry) works great here too.
Steer clear of Red Delicious apples, which are not only not delicious, but I am not even fully convinced they are apples. More like mealy sacks of mashed potatoes masquerading as apples, if you ask me…
Pomegranate Seeds
These make the challah quite a bit extra, indeed. If you’ve never seeded a pomegranate, I have a practical guide to doing that efficiently in my shakarkandi recipe (it’s an Indian sweet potato street food recipe that uses pomegranate seeds). Sometimes pomegranates are hard to find, and if that’s the case, you can substitute dried cranberries or Hunza raisins for a similar sweet-tart note.
Orange Blossom Water
This fragrant water adds a slightly Middle Eastern floral vibe, making the bread more aromatic and lovely. If you don’t have any, rose water, which I normally keep in my pantry to make vegan baklava with, or a ¼ amount of vanilla extract can be used instead.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Cinnamon Streusel Challah
Add a crumbly, spiced topping by mixing flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon with a bit of softened vegan butter (you can even just steal the streusel topping recipe from my vegan sweet potato muffins). Sprinkle this streusel over the challah just after applying the glaze, just before the final short baking time at the end.
Pear and Lavender Challah
Instead of apples, use diced ripe pears and add a spoonful of dried lavender flowers and lemon zest to the filling. We served turnovers like this on our food truck for ages, and people loved the flavor combo.
Pistachio, Persimmon, and Rosewater Challah
Mix rough-chopped pistachios and diced persimmon into the filling. Then add a splash of rosewater to the glaze. Leftover challah like this makes some sincerely legendary French toast. Not saying you have to make that with it, but I'm not NOT saying that either. 😉
📖 How to make round challah
Nail this traditional holiday challah bread on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Yeast Mode Activated:
Combine the warm water, sugar, and instant yeast in a large bowl, and let it sit for 5-8 minutes until foamy.
✅ In addition to making the fermentation happen more rapidly, this step also checks that your yeast is alive before you waste time and ingredients with dead yeast on a loaf that’ll never rise.
Step Two
Knead, M’trusty Steed!
Add the remaining dough ingredients to the bloomed yeast mixture and knead for 7 minutes by hand or 4 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, creating a firm, smooth dough.
Step Three
Up Rising:
Transfer the dough to a large bowl that’s been lightly greased and cover it with a damp towel. Allow it to rise in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes until it doubles in size.
✅ No need to get plastic wrap involved, y’all. Let’s not turn our planet into a landfill for the sake of a loaf of bread, ok?
Step Four
License to Fill:
In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil, diced apples, pomegranate seeds, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, orange blossom water, orange zest, and orange juice. This fragrant filling will be the heart of your challah.
Step Five
Flat Stanley:
On a lightly floured surface, divide the challah dough into 4 equal pieces.
Step Six
Flat Stanley:
Roll each into a 12-inch (30 cm) rope. Flatten them to about 3 ½ inches (9 cm) wide.
Step Seven
Filling Me Softly:
Spread one-fourth of the filling along one side of each dough strip.
Step Eight
Rolling with the Doughmies:
Fold the dough over the filling lengthwise, and press the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining pieces to create 4 filled ropes.
Step Nine-Twelve
Braiding Bad:
Lay 2 ropes of dough parallel and place the other 2 crosswise in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Weave the strips together, alternating over and under, and then fold and tuck the ends under to form a round loaf.
Step Thirteen
For Goodness Bakes:
Cover the shaped loaf with a damp towel and let it rise for 45-60 minutes until doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) during the final 15 minutes.
Bake the challah for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
Step Fourteen
Glazed and Confused:
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, agave nectar, and orange blossom water which will function as a glaze.
Step Fifteen
Eggless egg wash:
Brush the glaze generously over the hot challah.
Step Sixteen
Carpe Diem—Seeds the Day:
Optionally- sprinkle toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds over the glazed loaf while it’s still warm, ensuring they stick. Bake the challah for an additional 4-5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before serving, perhaps with a warm bowl of Ukrainian borscht and some homemade vegan pierogies.
💡 Serving Ideas
Because Rosh Hashannah is a time for sweet foods, the obvious side for this is some yummy vegan tzimmes, or some vegan sweet potato latkes. But you can rock this loaf year round too (I mean, except during Pesach obv.).
Add it to your Hanukkah wishlist to have with vegan latkes, or vegan zucchini latkes, or as a breakfast partner in crime for vegan matzo meal panckaes or vegan matzo brei. As my Zayde would say "Never enough carbs."
👉Top tips
- Mind Your Dough's Consistency: Achieving the right dough texture is crucial; it should be soft and slightly tacky but not overly sticky. If the dough feels too wet, incorporate additional flour a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Optimal Proofing Environment: Ensure the dough rises in a warm, draft-free area to promote proper fermentation. An oven (not turned on!) with the light turned on can create an ideal proofing environment.
- Precision in Filling Distribution: Evenly distribute the apple and pomegranate filling to prevent overstuffing, which can lead to leaks during baking. Pat the fruit pieces dry to minimize excess moisture that could affect the dough's texture.
- Mastering the Round Shape: When forming the round challah, ensure the strands are of equal length and thickness for uniform baking. Tucking the ends securely underneath the loaf helps maintain its shape and prevents unraveling.
- Don’t Get Sticky with It: Lightly oil the parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent the challah from sticking. A short bake after glazing keeps everything smooth and easy to release.
- Doneness Check: Tap the bottom of the loaf—it should sound hollow. For precision, use an instant-read thermometer and check that the internal temperature has reached 190°F (88°C) with no raw dough sticking to the thermometer when removed.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Round challah symbolizes the circle of life and the continuity of the new year, representing wholeness and the infinite.
Common methods include coiling a long strand of dough into a spiral, but I always think of the poop emoji when I see that. So follow the 4-strand round challah braiding instruction in this recipe instead!
A dense loaf may result from under-kneading the challah bread dough, insufficient rising time, or using too much flour; ensure the dough is adequately kneaded and allowed to rise fully.
Dipping challah in honey during Rosh Hashanah meals symbolizes the wish for a sweet new year. Since we are vegan, maple syrup is the easiest substitution for honey. Agave nectar also works well.
While both are enriched breads, water challah is typically pareve (containing neither dairy nor meat) and uses oil, making it suitable for kosher meals, whereas brioche contains butter and usually plenty of eggs and milk.
✌️You'll love these vegan baking projects too
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Vegan Round Challah Recipe for Rosh Hashanah
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 ⅔ cups water lukewarm
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1.6 lb. all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
Filling:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups apples peeled and 1 cm diced
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Glaze:
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
Optional Seed Topping:
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the warm water, sugar, and yeast, and allow the yeast to activate for 5-8 minutes until foamy looking.
- Add the remaining ingredients and knead together for 7 minutes by hand, or 4 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, yielding a firm, smooth dough.
- Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with a moistened kitchen towel, keeping it in a warm place for the dough to rise for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, mix together the filling by combining the olive oil, apples, pomegranate seeds, sugar, salt, cinnamon, orange blossom water, orange zest, and juice in a mixing bowl.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece by hand into a 12-inch (30 cm) rope and flatten to approximately 3 ½ inches (9 cm) wide.
- Working with one piece at a time (cover the others with a slightly damp towel), spread one-fourth of the filling along one side of the flattened dough strip. Fold the dough lengthwise over the apples and press the edges gently to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces so that you have four dough strands with filling inside of them.
- To weave the dough, position two pieces lengthwise next to each other with a small gap. Place the other two pieces crosswise, weaving them in a tic-tac-toe pattern: one piece goes over and under the lengthwise pieces, and the next row alternates under and over.
- Next, pick up the dough strip that is underneath and fold it over its neighboring strip to the side. Repeat this process with the three "under" strips. Reverse the direction by folding the "under" strips over their partners again. Tuck the ends underneath to form a rounded shape.
- Cover the loaf loosely with a clean, moistened kitchen towel to rise for 45-60 minutes until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Once the oven is preheated, bake the loaf for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. If your oven has uneven heat, be sure to rotate the loaf at the half-way point, and possibly switch it to a different rack. Make sure the racks in your oven aren’t too close together so the top of your challah doesn’t end up rising up to touch the oven rack.
- Meanwhile, stir together the olive oil, agave nectar, and orange blossom water.
- Once the bread is lightly golden brown and cooked through, remove the loaf and brush thoroughly with the agave and olive oil. If you are using the seeds, sprinkle them all around the loaf now, sticking to the glaze.
- Finish baking for 4-5 minutes and then remove the loaf, placing it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Ensure equal strand lengths when shaping your challah. Tuck the ends under firmly to keep its round shape intact.
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Katie says
I loved the round challah and made it with apples and cranberries. It's a lovely dessert, but also good as French toast or for a sandwich. The recipe was easy to follow. Adam's challah recipes are so great!
Jade says
How do you always have recipes to use up the random things I have lying around?! Came out great and this recipe made something that looked super complicated very easy.
Adam Sobel says
I am hiding in your crawlspace, and watching what remains in your pantry at all times. I then upload these blog posts from behind your walls using a BlackBerry™ phone. No big deal 🤷♀️