Challah (gf)

Challah is a quintessential part of the Shabbat meal. Although originally a simple bread given ritually to the kohanim (priests), it has become a bedrock of tradition and stepping stone for experimentation. The sweet, braided egg bread is intertwined with culture and religion.

After years of hunting for the perfect recipe for gluten-free challah, I’ve finally come to the unfortunate conclusion that there ain’t no such thing. The best you can do is a “pretty good” gluten-free challah. The challenge is balancing all the factors that define “challah”.

First, there is the issue of structure. A dough dry enough to braid typically makes a loaf so dense that fish refuse to eat it when tossed into the water during Tashlich. A dough wet enough to create the requisite light spongy texture typically can’t be braided and can only be poured into a challah mold.

Second, there is the issue of ha’motzi. The ingredients of the bread determine which blessings one says before and after eating, and therefore whether to offer the traditional ha’motzi prayer during Shabbat. According to Jewish law, to be halachically considered “bread” (meaning one says the ha’motzi prayer before eating and the full birkat hamazon blessing after eating), the item must be baked, have air holes (leavened), and be made from at least 51% of one of the five species of grain (wheat, rye, oats, barley, or spelt). Of these five, only oats is gluten free. Therefore, do you use gluten-free oat flour and exclude those who have an oat avenin intolerance, or do you add in oat flour so that it can be part of the traditional Shabbat dinner?

Third, there is the issue of pareve. Many gluten-free bread recipes (such as America’s Test Kitchen) add milk powder to increase protein levels and improve structure. However, this negates the ability to eat challah with a fleishik (meat) meal or create a vegan bread (with an egg substitute).

This recipe is braided, oat-free, and dairy-free. Halachically (according to Jewish law), since this recipe primarily uses rice flour, one should say the mezonot blessing for cakes and pastries before eating and the borei nefashot (short grace) blessing after the meal.

Or you could just batter it with egg, turn it into French toast, dunk it in maple syrup, and be done with it. Your choice.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm plant-based milk (e.g. soy, almond)
• ⅛ teaspoon ground saffron threads (optional)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ cup honey (or sorghum syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave for vegan option)
• 2 large egg (or egg replacement for vegan option)
• ¼ cup oil
• 20 ounces (4 cups) gluten free flour blend (see note)
  • 24 ounces white rice flour
  • 8 ounces brown rice flour
  • 7 ounces potato starch
  • 3 ounces tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (if not already in flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg mixed with 1 to 2 teaspoons of water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a rectangular 7×11 inch (traditional challah) or 9 inch round (round challah) pan.
2. Combine the yeast, lukewarm plant milk, saffron, and sugar. Let sit for about five minutes until yeast starts to form bubbles. Stir in honey, egg, and oil.
3. Whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, and salt and place in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Slowly pour in liquid mixture with the mixer on medium speed. Mix for about three minutes or until dough is fully mixed. The dough should feel soft and slightly sticky, like pre-refrigerated cookie dough. Add more flour if the dough is too wet.
4. Turn the dough out onto a surface floured with gluten free flour. Use a pastry cutter to divide the dough into four equally sized parts. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough to prevent it from sticking to your hands. Carefully roll each portion into long coils, adding more flour to the outside of each coil as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Only flour the outside of the coils so the dough remains moist inside.
5. For a traditional Shabbat challah, place each coil parallel to each other. Pinch the coils together at one end and braid the dough into a plaited loaf. For a round challah, braid the challah from the center outward, tuck the ends underneath, and place in the pan. Cover the loaf with a warm, wet towel and let rise for 45-60 minutes until double in size.
6. Make an egg wash by lightly beating 1 to 2 teaspoons of water into an egg. Baste the top of the challah with the egg wash. Bake the challah for 30-40 minutes until the outside is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped.

Notes:

1. For this recipe, I recommend the America’s Test Kitchen gluten free all purpose flour blend without the nonfat dry milk powder. I can also use Nicole Hunn’s Mock Better Batter flour. The mock and commercial Better Batter flour uses pectin, which provides extra gluey binding, but it tends to make the baked goods feel gummy. I adapted much of my recipe from Orly Gottesman’s recipe, which uses her Manhattan Blend.
2. Many challah recipes only braid three coils. I braid four because it looks prettier and more complex. However, braiding more than four coils may be difficult because the dough does not hold together as well as a standard glutinous dough. For Rosh Hashanah, use a four-strand round braid and bake it in a standard 9-inch cake pan..
3. Adding saffron threads is optional, but I highly recommend it. Saffron adds a yellow color and warm, rich flavor. I first learned this trick from the Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook back when I was baking challah to show off to my girlfriend’s family. It worked. My girlfriend became my wife. Just sayin’. (Ironically, my wife likes my challah now without the saffron, so…whatever.)