"This vegan challah is light as a cloud, tender, and golden. You'll never miss the eggs.
This recipe is a vegan adaptation of King Arthur Baking's "Four Strand Braided Challah.""
Vegan Challah: Fluffy, tender, and addictive
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- Recipe Card
Prep time 30mins
Cook time 30mins
Serves or Makes: 8
Recipe Card
ingredients
Quick Preferment
- 120 grams all-purpose flour,
- 227 grams lukewarm water,
- 2 teaspoon instant yeast,
ingredients
Dough
- All of the preferment
- 421 grams all-purpose flour,
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt,
- 1/4 teaspoon kala namak (black salt),
- pinch turmeric,
- 67 grams sugar,
- 50 grams coconut oil,
- 7 tablespoons aquafaba,
ingredients
Easy Eggless Wash & Toppings
- 1/4 cup oat or soy milk,
- poppyseeds (optional
- sesame seeds (optional)
Method
Make the preferment
Step 1
Combine one cup each of flour and water in a large bowl. Add the yeast and stir a few times to combine. It's okay if the mixture is a bit lumpy.
Step 2
Cover the bowl and let the preferment rest at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
Make the challah
Step 1
In another large bowl, combine the remaining flour, salt, and turmeric. Stir with a fork or whisk to combine until the turmeric is evenly distributed.
Step 2
Add the dry ingredients to the starter, along with the sugar, coconut oil, and aquafaba.
Step 3
Knead the dough, either by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, until the dough is smooth. For my KitchenAid mixer, this takes about 7 minutes at the #2 setting.
Step 4
Transfer the dough into a large, oiled bowl or container. Turn the dough over a few times in the bowl to cover the surface with a light layer of oil. Cover and let rise until the dough has nearly doubled in size. This should take around 1 ½ hours.
Step 5
Turn the dough out of the bowl to shape it on a countertop or other flat surface, and press it down slightly to deflate it a bit. If the dough is a bit sticky, you may need to dust the surface with a light layer of flour. I usually find that the dough isn't sticky at this point, so flour isn't necessary.
Step 6
At this point, you have options! You can shape the bread in any way you like, in one larger loaf or in smaller rolls. See the article below for suggestions. For a large loaf, it may be easier to shape it directly on the baking sheet. For smaller rolls, I usually shape them on the countertop and then move them over. Either way, prepare the baking sheet by oiling it lightly, or by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 7
Lightly cover the shaped challah. I use a clean tea towel, but you could also use a lightly greased sheet of plastic film or a large, clean plastic bag. Let the bread rise for 45 minutes to an hour.
Step 8
As you get close to the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375° F and prepare your glaze and any toppings you wish to use.
Step 9
When the challah loaf or rolls have nearly doubled in size, and when the side of the loaf does not immediately bounce back when you gently poke it with a finger, it's time to glaze and add toppings. Gently brush on the oat or soy milk, and sprinkle on the seeds if you are using them.
Step 10
Time to bake! If you made one large loaf, you will need to bake for about 35 - 45 minutes, depending on your oven. If you made smaller rolls, you may only need around 20 - 30 minutes. If you have a food thermometer, check the internal temperature. When you get to 195° F, you're done. If you don't have a thermometer, look for a golden crust and a slightly firm surface.