Easy Vegan Challah Bread Recipe
Soft, golden-braided egg-free challah that makes regular non-vegan challah look silly and 100% unnecessary. Impressive on Shabbat dinners, absurdly good for French toast, and downright next to impossible to fully mess up!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 387kcal
Cost: $4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups water (lukewarm)
- ⅔ cups 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
Glaze:
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- ¼ cup olive oil
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 flour, oil, salt, and turmeric 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.
- Punch the dough down and then divide into equal portions (I divide into 6 portions of about 0.4 lb. Each for braiding a 6-strand challah).
- Roll and stretch the dough into long thin ropes about 1 inch side (2.5 cm.) by about 16-18 inches long. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes for the gluten to relax.
- Press the ends together one one side. You may need to sprinkle in a tiny bit of water to get the ends to fuse together securely
- Braid the strands into a nice long braid, pulling gently as you braid to elongate the loaf.
- Pinch the ends together, tucking the butt end of the braid under, and transfer the braided loaf onto a lightly oiled, parchment-lined baking pan. 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 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, stir together the olive oil and agave nectar.
- Once the bread is lightly golden brown and cooked through, remove the loaf and brush thoroughly with the agave and olive oil.
- 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
🔊 Water You Waiting For?
Use water at 100°F–110°F (38°C–43°C) to activate the yeast. Too hot, and the yeast dies; too cool, and fermentation slows down.
💪 Knead, M’trusty Steed:
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic—7 minutes by hand or 4 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer will do the trick.
🤑 Paper Chaser:
Lightly oil the parchment paper to keep the challah from sticking, especially during its final glaze-bake stage.
🤫 Don’t Rush It, M’dear Mommy:
Tap the loaf’s bottom to check for a hollow sound, or use a thermometer to ensure it’s at least 190°F (88°C) with no raw dough sticking to to the thermometer when removed.
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 587mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 3mg